Airport concession meaning, why aviation union protest against Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria

Airport concession no be news again for Nigeria but aviation union dey protest against Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria

Dis airport concession go affect Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos (MMIA), Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA), Mallam Aminu International Airport Kano (MAKIA) and Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA).

Staff of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Monday occupied di domestic terminal of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, (MAKIA) to do we no go gree waka against di move to concession major airports inside di kontri.

Nigeria Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika say di reason for di concession na to develop Nigeria major commercial airports and surrounding communities into efficient, profitable, self-sustaining, commercial hubs wey go create more jobs and develop local industries through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Tori be say di federal goment don reveal readiness to give out terminal building, toll Gates and non-eronotic areas to private operators inside one public-private enterprise arrangement.

Chairman of Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Hassan Aliyu insist say di concession plan go force many staff on retrenchment while di future of those retired may not be assured.

Aviation unions on Monday shut down all offices for di headquarters of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) inside Lagos to protest di proposed concession of di four major airports in the country, di Nation Newspaper report.

As early as 6am security officers wey dey guard di different gates into di FAAN headquarters na im di union leaders tell to comot for dia duty posts as di unions chain and padlock di entry and exit gates of di agency office.

Wetin be concession?

“Concessions na most time necessary tin to do during negotiation,” na wetin HBS professor Deepak Malhotra tok.

Dictionary say di meaning concession na sometin wey anoda pesin give, especially as reply to demands.

Airport concession next stage for Nigeria

Di next stages wey go follow to achieve di project na to prepare di Information Memorandum (Info Memo) and to request for Qualification (RFQ) by di Transaction Adviser and to release RFQ invitation to invite pipo wey get interest to bid.

Other things wey must to follow include di issuance of RFP to companies wey dem choose, dem go open data room and hold pre-bid conference, technical proposals evaluation and public financial bid opening and declaration of preferred/reserved bids, negotiation and Preparation of Full Business Case (FBC) and approval of di FBC by di Federal Executive Council (FEC) and contract signing.

Di document reveal say di airport terminal concession na one of di serious projects for under di Aviation Sector Roadmap of di federal goment of Nigeria and e fit well for di Ministry strategic plan for di sector.

“Di execution of dis project na to help Nigeria reach im objectives in terms of air transportation wey be to develop am, make profit, manage customers and make sure say di facility dey safe, secured and dey very okay to carry passengers and goods wey go meet world-class standards of quality,” di document tok.

These four main airports get new terminal buildings wey dem don commission and dey work while Lagos and Kano get terminals under construction and dem ready for commissioning.

ICRC explain say di Airports for Nigeria get huge potentials but dey operate for small level because of some factors but dem go improve under the PPP programme.

Di factors include: di urgent need for infrastructure investments and modernisation (runway maintenance, navigation aids as well as terminal facilities), dem dey under use di asset sake of limited opening hours for some airports, lack of terminal capacity for di airports because gates no many, dem lack stands and check-in desks to operate as international hubs wey don make dem separate international and domestic terminals.

Di commission don dey aware of dis PPP arrangement of di Outline Business Case (OBC) Report for di OBC for di concession of di Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airport terminals under PPP arrangements since 1 June, 2020 for certification.