FG hands over Enugu airport to Aero after 20-year concession process

THE Nigerian government has formally transferred the management of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu to Aero Alliance Limited, completing a concession process that officials said had been in the works for about two decades.

The handover took place on Thursday at the airport’s new terminal during a ceremony attended by government officials, aviation stakeholders and representatives of the concessionaire.

Those present included Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah; Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Jobson Ewalefoh; and Aero Alliance Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Saleem Aman Ullah Abdulhussain.

In a statement issued by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, the government said the concession represents a significant milestone in its drive to modernise airport infrastructure, improve operational performance and encourage greater private sector participation in the aviation industry.

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Addressing the gathering, Keyamo described the handover as a historic achievement, saying previous efforts to concession the airport had stalled for nearly 20 years.

According to him, the breakthrough was only achieved under the administration of President Bola Tinubu. He noted that investors had previously concentrated their interest on the Lagos, Abuja and Kano airports, while Enugu and Port Harcourt attracted little attention.

The minister disclosed that with the successful concession of Enugu airport, Port Harcourt airport would also be transferred to a private operator within the next few weeks.

Keyamo said the development had strengthened investor confidence, adding that bids were already being prepared for the concession of 3 more airports across the country.

He also praised Governor Peter Mbah for helping attract investors to the project, revealing that President Tinubu directed him to provide every necessary support to the governor despite belonging to different political parties initially.

According to the minister, Mbah played a key role in bringing investors on board, describing him as the ideal partner for the airport project.

Keyamo assured aviation workers that their jobs and welfare would remain protected under the new arrangement, while stressing that the privately managed airport would operate with greater efficiency, accountability and improved service delivery.

He added that employees who perform their responsibilities diligently had nothing to fear, but noted that operations would no longer continue under the old system.

The minister urged Aero Alliance to justify the confidence placed in it by the Federal Government, saying its performance would set the standard for future airport concession projects across Nigeria.

He also announced that the Enugu State government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate direct flight connections between Guangzhou, China, and Enugu as part of efforts to boost trade, tourism and investment in the South-East.

Following the ceremony, concession documents were signed and operational control of the airport was officially handed over to Aero Alliance.