The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the concession of Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State to private operators as part of reforms to improve efficiency across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the decision after Thursday’s FEC meeting in Abuja. He said the concession aims to reduce losses in managing underperforming terminals while ensuring no job cuts for aviation workers.
“This is a message to the unions: nobody will lose their job. I am pro-workers, and we will continue to engage them,” Keyamo said, addressing concerns raised by labour groups.
The minister noted that renewed investor confidence under President Bola Tinubu’s administration attracted strong private sector interest. “Before we came in, Port Harcourt was a no-go area. Almost all investors shunned it. Now, more than six firms competed to secure the concession,” he stated.
FEC also approved eight other proposals from the ministry, including the procurement of 15 firefighting vehicles for the five international airports in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu, in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) safety standards.
Another key approval was the introduction of a biometric verification system at all airports to enhance passenger identification and national security. “Too many anonymous people board aircraft using fake identities. With this system, NIN will be linked to boarding data to verify identities,” Keyamo explained.
Other approvals included the construction of a permanent headquarters for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in Abuja and the installation of tertiary power supply at airports and remote air traffic stations to ensure uninterrupted operations.
Keyamo further clarified that all properties owned by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) around airport premises have been officially exempted from sale, citing national security concerns.
The minister added that the government also approved funding for new runway and perimeter lighting to extend airport operations into the night. “Some airports close as early as 6 pm. We want airlines to operate till 10 or 11 pm to boost capacity and revenue,” he said.
