The Federal Government has formally sealed the concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, to Aero Alliance, in a move to modernize Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure through public-private partnership.
The concession agreement was signed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyomo, at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Abuja on Wednesday.
Tunde Moshood, the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Communications, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Keymo described the agreement as the culmination of a long, transparent and painstaking process spanning several years. He recalled that the Federal Executive Council had approved the concession of Enugu Airport on July 31, 2025, subject to the successful conclusion of contract negotiations.
The Minister said, “Today marks the end of a very long and arduous process in relation to the Enugu Airport concession. Following the approval of the Federal Executive Council, the Ministry, FAAN and Aero Alliance engaged in extensive negotiations to ensure that all critical issues were addressed before this agreement was signed.”
He stressed that the safety of aviation workers was at the center of the concession framework, noting that consultation with relevant unions had been carried out to safeguard the welfare of workers.
Keyamo said, “We have entered into these agreements keeping in mind the rights and privileges of the workers. Their jobs are safe and protected. They have not been retrenched, their terms and conditions of service have not changed, and they remain employees of the federal government and FAAN.”
According to the minister, once workers' rights were fully secured, the focus shifted to other technical, legal and operational matters to ensure a sustainable concession arrangement.
Confirming that the master concession agreement has now been concluded, Keemo revealed that two outstanding operational issues relating to security fees and the airport's financial operating model will be resolved in the coming weeks to enable seamless implementation.
He said, “There are two minor issues regarding the execution of the agreement, but these will be addressed soon. As far as the main concession is concerned, we have agreed today to award the Enugu Airport concession to Aero Alliance.”
The Minister described the signing as a historic milestone that will reposition the Akanu Ibiam International Airport for improved efficiency, improved service delivery and improved passenger experience.
The event brought together officials of the Enugu State Government, representatives of Aero Alliance and top management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The Enugu Airport concession is part of the Federal Government's comprehensive aviation sector reform agenda aimed at attracting private capital, upgrading critical infrastructure, promoting regional connectivity and strengthening Nigeria's competitiveness in the global aviation market.
