The federal government has begun the review of the airports concession process to ensure transparency.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo made this known on Monday at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja, held to mark President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office.
Keyamo said the President has approved the review of the concession process of the major airports to make sure they operate at international standards.
The minister asserted that his ministry is developing a master plan for major airports in the country.
He said: “Bureaucracy cannot run public infrastructure. They have to be run like private businesses.
“The review of the concession process is to ensure it is more transparent to deliver world-class infrastructure.
“We will do full concession of the airports and run them as private businesses. The president has asked us to go for the best.”
Recall that the federal government opened the bidding process for the concession of four major international airport terminals in the country on August 16, 2021.
The airports include Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Murtala Muhammed Internatıonal Airport, Lagos; Malam Amınu Kano Internatıonal Airport, Kano; and Port Harcourt Internatıonal Airport.
The federal government had said the concession would be for a period between 20-30 years.
In October 2022, the government announced the preferred and reserve bidders for the concession of airports.
However, Keyamo, weeks after he was appointed a minister, suspended the airports concession plans and the Nigeria Air project on August 31, 2023.
