The federal government’s intention to concession the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, has the full support of the Enugu State Caucus in the House of Representatives. They see it as a way to boost the economy in the Southeast.
The group applauded the federal government’s effort and demanded that it move quickly to finalize the concessions so that the nation and its citizens could reap the full benefits.
Concessioning, it said, is the only way to ensure long-term investment in the airport’s development into a genuinely international facility, and the locals should rally behind this plan.
Sunday Umeha, Hon. Paul Nnamchi, Hon. Sunday Umeha, Hon. Martins Oke, Hon. Dennis Agbo, Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu, Hon. Chimaobi Atu, Hon. Sunday Obetta, and Hon. Mark Obetta signed and published a statement on Monday to make their stance known as the caucus. All eight of Enugu State’s federal seats are represented by these individuals.
After being designated as an international airport by the federal government twenty years ago, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu has remained partially built due to inadequate financial expenditure. Some essential parts, like the cargo terminal, runway, and international terminal, are either missing or in need of repair or replacement.
These shortcomings, which show up as infrequent international flights and the airport’s periodic shutdown for runway repairs, have hit the South East and its businesses and residents particularly hard.
“Thus, we hold the belief that the airport’s concession, which is presently being considered by the federal government, is the sole practical means of attracting sufficient funds to construct the necessary infrastructure and enhance existing facilities, thereby elevating AIIA to the level of other world-class international airports,” the caucus stated.
The announcement clarified that, contrary to what some have been saying, concessioning is not the same as privatization or selling the airport.
Rather, it is a well-known and established Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model that allows private investors to finance public infrastructure while the government maintains ownership and oversight responsibilities.
“We call on the federal government to hasten this process, for the people of the South East region in particular and Nigeria in general to start benefiting from the huge possibilities and blessings it holds.
The federal government, via the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing AIIA.
We trust that the concessionaire chosen will have the necessary resources, expertise, and track record of success to achieve this goal. The statement went on to say that this is the only acceptable option that can spur the much-needed economic transformation and prosperity in the South East region.