Tensions are rising over the federal government’s plan to concession key airports as aviation unions have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately halt the ongoing concession process.
At a congress held at Freedom Square near the Lagos Airport, union leaders accused the government of sidelining workers and lacking transparency. They described the process as deceptive, insisting that labour unions have not been adequately involved.
This position, however, contradicts the Federal Government’s stance. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, recently assured that unions were fully involved. Speaking after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting last week, Keyamo announced that the FEC had approved a 30-year concession deal for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu. The deal includes the completion and management of the airport’s cargo terminal by a private consortium.
Keyamo stressed that the process was transparent and inclusive, saying, “I am not someone who ignores the unions. From the very start, I directed that they must be part of the committee.”
But the President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ben Nnabue, refuted the minister’s claims. He stated that unions were not aware of how the concession process was being handled and called for a total restart.
“They should start afresh so that all Nigerians who wish to participate can be part of the process. The value of each airport should also be properly assessed,” Nnabue said, adding that all labour issues must be resolved before any concession takes place.
He also alleged that the appointment of concessionaires lacked transparency, stating, “The airports belong to Nigerians. You can’t secretly hand them over without open declaration.”
Similarly, the President General of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Alale Adedayo, criticized the process, calling it opaque and exclusionary.
“There should be public advertisements in national dailies for at least six months to allow credible bidders to emerge and engage directly with staff to address labour-related matters,” Adedayo said. “Our members have been pushed out of the process. We were not even invited to any meetings.”
The unions insist that no concession will be accepted unless their concerns are fully addressed.
