Key highlights
- Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika has assured that there will be no job loss amid impending airport concessions.
- This comes as aviation unions continue to insist that the plan by the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) lack transparency.
- Aviation industry roadmap of 2016 has been achieved such as the signing of the Aviation Act, Nigeria Airspace Management Act and so on.
The Nigerian Government has assured aviation unions and stakeholders that the concession of airports will not lead to job losses in the industry.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika on Thursday, during a meeting with National Stakeholders forum at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
No job loss
The Minister in a statement by the Ministry of Aviation urged that there would be no job losses as the sector is important to Nigeria’s economy, the statement read:
- “Hon. Minister of Aviation HadiSirika has assured that there will be no job loss in the concession of Airports.
- “Speaking during the National Stakeholders forum at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, today, 23rd March 2023, Sirika said the aviation industry is key to the development of any nation.
- “Speaking on the Aviation industry roadmap of 2016, he said a lot of items within the roadmap have been achieved such as the signing of the Aviation Act, Nigeria Airspace Management Act and so on.
Hon. Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika has assured that there will be no job loss in the concession of Airports. pic.twitter.com/tXx6Y3620x
— Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Devt. (@fmaviationng) March 23, 2023
Stakeholders’ fears
Last week, four aviation unions engaged Mr Femi Falana to challenge the planned concession of four airports in Nigeria.
They argued that the plan by the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) lacked transparency.
The unions also claimed that the proposed concession of the airports could not be justified because the terminals required no further investments for the envisaged period of the concession.
The unions are the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP-FAAN Branch).
They insisted that the plan by the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to concession the airports lacked transparency while other important factors like gratuity and pensions of staff were not put into consideration.
They also allege that the 2nd defendant had usurped the statutory duties of the Board of Directors in FAAN with its duties, saying that members of the board were not inaugurated in the past eight years as entrenched in its Act.
In case you missed it
Recall that SIFAX Group of Companies Limited, one of the bidders for the concession of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) had last December approached a Federal High Court in Lagos to disqualify Tav Airports Holding Company and GMR Airport Limited.
The group stated that both firms owned by the same company, Airport De Paris, ADP, submitted separate bids for MMIA and were shortlisted for the next concession phase.
Sifax, in its submission to the court, contended that this breached the “specific precept of the RFQ,” which states that no applicant is entitled to bid for any specific assets twice under any guise or form.
