The federal government has announced that five Nigerian airports are set on concession.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, stated this while receiving the Regional Vice President Africa and Middle East of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the five International Airport for concession included Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Port Harcourt International Airport, Aminu Kano International Airport, and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
Mr Keyamo thanked the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for indicating interest in offering the advisory role to Nigeria at a crucial time when the concessions were about to take off.
The Minister said the level of infrastructure decay within the aviation industry called for urgent action. He said the federal government remained the aviation hub for Africa and the world at large going by the geographical location.
Kamil Awdhi, Regional Vice President of Africa and Middle East-International Air Transport Association stated that the essence of the visit was to make their interest known and to offer an advisory role to Nigeria in the concession process.
Awdhi stated that Nigeria was a big market that every investor could want to work with and promised that IATA as an Advisor had no financial cost to Nigeria.
According to report, Nigeria has 32 airports, 26 of which are operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and five of which are functional international airports.
It also has a state-owned located in Akwa Ibom State. In addition, there are airstrips or airfields scattered around the country, built mainly by the Nigerian Air Force and multinational oil companies. Nigeria has only one private-public partnership airport, operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd – Murtala Muhammed Airport Two