The Federal Government has taken a decisive step toward modernising Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, formally signed the concession agreement for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
The development marks a major milestone in the government’s aviation reform agenda, which seeks to leverage strategic public-private partnerships to upgrade airport infrastructure, improve efficiency, and enhance passenger experience across the country.
The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Abuja, where the Minister hosted a joint delegation comprising officials of the Enugu State Government and representatives of Aero Alliance, the concessionaire.
The Enugu State Government delegation was led by the Commissioner for Transport, Obi Ozor, while the Aero Alliance team included Chuks Aniekwe, Barrister Oyiwodu Okibe-Oga, Onyedikachi Nwachukwu, Kester Enwereonu, and Barrister Michael Nwaechie of Ivy Solicitors.
Also in attendance were top Federal Government and aviation officials, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Yakubu Adams Kofarmata; the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku; and FAAN’s Director of Legal Services, Bridget Iwinose Gold, alongside other senior officials of the Ministry and FAAN.
The signing procession was led by the Minister himself, who described the event as the culmination of a painstaking and transparent process that spanned several years.
“Today is the end of a very long and tedious process regarding the concession of the Enugu Airport. The process culminated on the 31st of July, 2025, when the Federal Executive Council approved the proposal to concession the Enugu Airport, subject of course to contract,” Keyamo said.
He explained that following the approval of the Federal Executive Council, the Ministry, FAAN, and Aero Alliance embarked on extensive negotiations, including broad consultations with aviation unions, to ensure that workers’ welfare remained a central consideration.
“We did these agreements with the rights and privileges of workers uppermost in our minds. Let me say Today that we have fully respected and preserved the rights of aviation workers. They have not been retrenched, their terms and conditions of employment have not changed in any way, and they remain workers of the Federal Government and FAAN,” the Minister stressed.
According to Keyamo, the protection of jobs and staff interests formed a core pillar of the concession framework.
“The workers have not been short-changed in any way at all. Their jobs are safe and protected. Having taken care of the rights of workers, we then addressed other critical issues and virtually covered all areas before the signing of this agreement,” he added.
The Minister noted that although the main concession agreement has now been executed, two outstanding operational matters — security charges and the financial model for airport operations — will be finalised in the coming weeks to ensure seamless implementation.
“There are two little issues after signing, in terms of operationalizing the agreement, regarding security fees and the financial model of the airport. These will be resolved in the next few weeks. But as far as the main concession is concerned, we have agreed to concession the Enugu Airport to Aero Alliance Today,” he said.
He welcomed stakeholders to what he described as a historic ceremony, expressing optimism that the concession would reposition the Akanu Ibiam International Airport for greater efficiency, improved service delivery, and enhanced passenger satisfaction.
The concession of the Enugu airport forms part of the Federal Government’s broader aviation sector reform programme aimed at attracting private investment, upgrading infrastructure, expanding regional connectivity, and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global aviation industry.
