Nigeria concessions’ Akanu Ibiam International Airport
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has signed off Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for concession under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to Aero Alliance Limited.
The event marks another significant milestone in the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising airport infrastructure, enhancing operational efficiency, and attracting private sector investment into Nigeria’s aviation sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This was made known a statement signed by Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Honourable Minister, Tunde Moshood on Thursday in Abuja.
The Minister described the concession as a historic breakthrough, revealing that plans to concession the airport had lingered for over two decades without success.
“This concession plan has been on for about twenty years, but it has only become possible under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Before now, investors focused mainly on Lagos, Abuja and Kano airports. Nobody was interested in Enugu and Port Harcourt. Today, Enugu has been successfully concessioned and Port Harcourt will also be handed over within the next few weeks,” the Minister stated.
He disclosed that the success recorded with the Enugu concession has sparked renewed investor confidence, with bids already being prepared for three additional airports across the country.
The Minister commended Governor Peter Mbah for his visionary leadership and strategic role in attracting investors to the project.
“Governor Peter Mbah came into the office with a clear plan. Despite belonging to a different political party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed me to give him every necessary support. He brought investors to the table, and we have found in Governor Peter Mbah the perfect partner for this project,” Keyamo said.
Speaking on labour concerns, the Minister assured airport workers that their interests and welfare remain protected under the concession arrangement.
The Minister further charged Aero Alliance Limited to justify the confidence reposed in it by the Federal Government, noting that as one of the pioneer airport concessionaires in Nigeria, its performance would set the benchmark for future concessions nationwide.
He also disclosed that the Enugu State Government has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at facilitating a direct flight connection between Guangzhou, China, and Enugu, a development expected to boost trade, tourism and investment opportunities in the South-East region.
Following the Minister’s remarks, the official handover ceremony took place with the signing of the concession documents and the formal transfer of operational and management responsibilities of the airport to Aero Alliance Limited.
In his remarks, Governor Peter Mbah described the concession as a transformative development that aligns with the state’s economic vision of positioning Enugu as a major aviation, logistics and investment hub in West Africa.
Source Blueprint
