Article summary
- Abuja Airport would be concessioned for 20 years, while Kano Airport would be concessioned for 30 years.
- The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and three others instituted a legal suit against the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over the planned concession of some of the airports in the country.
- Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had earlier assured that there would be no job losses in the concession of airports.
The Nigeria Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, after the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Nigeria’s government is currently in a legal battle with aviation unions over the airport concessions, with the FG promising recently that the concessions will not lead to job losses.
Concession
The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, speaking at the end of the council meeting, said the FEC approved the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, the statement added:
- “The Abuja Airport would be concessioned for 20 years, while that of Kano would be concessioned for 30 years.”
Sirika also stated that the council also approved the ministry’s change of name from the Federal Ministry of Aviation to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace of Nigeria.
Other aviation-related projects also approved by the FEC include the draft National Civil Aviation Policy, which the Minister stated was geared towards the strengthening of civil aviation.
What you should know
Recall that Nairametrics reported earlier this year that the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) revealed why the union and three others instituted a legal suit against the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on the planned concession of some of the airports in the country.
Speaking with Nairametrics in Lagos, the General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba, said that the government negated all the agreements reached after the tour of some airports outside the country with the unions.
NUATE and three other unions – Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP-FAAN Branch) – sued Aviation Ministry (1st defendant) and FAAN (2nd defendant), claiming that the entire process was short of transparency.
According to Ocheme, the unions had agreed with the government before the tours of the airports that after the tours, all parties involved in the process, including the unions, would appraise the situation, but regretted that the government failed to call the unions to a meeting to discuss this despite the series of letters to it on the issue.
He alleged that despite the refusal of the government to involve the unions, the ministry had continued to go ahead with the process and also announced preferred bidders about five months ago with the knowledge of critical stakeholders on the issue. He said:
- “Our agreement before the tours was that after the tours, everybody would sit down to appraise the tour, but unfortunately, the ministry didn’t assent to our request up until now. The ministry has refused to convey the meeting; therefore, this exercise has lost the benefits of the tours we embarked on at that time.
- “We lost confidence in the government when the ministry continued to engage the would-be concessionaires without our knowledge up to the extent that they have announced the preferred bidders. The government had promised to involve us when they were meeting with the preferred bidders, but up until now, they have not done so.
- “It is up to the government to be law abiding and to stay through to the principles of the rule of law. Whether they would do that or not, I am not in a position to say, but we expect that as a product of democracy, the government will operate through the rule of law.”
No job losses
In a later statement by the Ministry of Aviation, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, 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, March 23, 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, the Nigeria Airspace Management Act, and so on.”
