Sirika: No going back on concession of Kano, PH airports

Hadi Sirika, minister of state for aviation, says the concession process of Aminu Kano International Airport and Port Harcourt International Airport will begin soon.

Sirika made this known while speaking on the certification of Nigerian airports at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

A concession is an agreement where an entity is given the right to run a business that belongs to another entity.

While the assets may belong to the original owner, depending on the agreement, the entity granted concession is responsible for the day-to-day management.

The federal executive council approved the concession of the airports in Kano, Lagos and Abuja on September 11.

“President Buhari has approved that the Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt airports be under concession,” Sirika said.

“The federal executive council has also approved it as well. FEC has also approved transaction advisers for the airports and they will start the process soon.”

On the recent certification of the Lagos airport by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Sirika said Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kaduna airports were the next in line.

He said no airport in Nigeria had ever been certified by the NCAA, adding that with the certification, the government would be able to value the airport and know how to relate with its concessionaire when the facility is eventually given out in concession.

Sirika said the certification showed that the airport could now be described as air safety compliant and that passengers might enjoy a reduction in the cost of flight tickets in the nearest future as a result of the certification.

Workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had protested the proposed concession of the Lagos and Abuja airports, describing it as an illegal act of selling the airports to unknown people.