FG concessions Abuja, Lagos airports

The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed that the Federal Executive Council has concessioned the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja. Also, the VP has encouraged the private sector to report ministries, departments and agencies stalling the ease of doing business, saying naming and shaming was the only way to improve the business environment.

Osinbajo made the call at the 5th Presidential Quarterly Business Forum on Monday, the first since the National Bureau of Statistics, announced that the nation’s GDP grew at 0/55% at the Q2 after five quarters of contraction. He specifically, said that the council had already granted approval for the concession of both Abuja and Lagos airports. “First, we want to do a general overhaul. Second, we want to concession all the airports. I am pleased to say that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the concessioning of the Lagos and Abuja airports,” he stated.

In 2016, the federal government had indicated interest in concessioning the Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports to increase their capacity and efficiency. Labour unions in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had expressed reservations in the process, vowing to stop the plan. The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had assured that the process would be transparent. Already two committees, project steering committee and project delivery committee, for the concessioning process have been inaugurated

In 2007, Olusegun Obasanjo, the president at that time, had concessioned Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), the first public private partnership (PPP) initiative in the Nigeria’s aviation sector. On naming and shaming those demanding rents and gratifications, Osinbajo’s said, “We are ready to confront the system that is used to rent and gratification. In order to reverse that and for things to be done properly involves calling out officials involved. If we don’t we will never solve the problem.

“Part of the problem is that nobody is willing to report anybody for asking for gratification.” He added that Partnership with private sector “is not merely a policy, is the only sensible thing to do. Our approach is to engage, to work collaboratively, to take criticisms and suggestions seriously and to respond.” Emphasizing on the issue of criticisms, suggestions and response, Osinbajo said, “There is a lot that needs to be done in the whole process. “We welcome the criticism because our business is to make the sector better. These interactions are important in improving capacity of regulators because they are there to serve investors.

The Sun

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