The Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT) has strongly opposed the Federal Government’s decision to concession the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State, describing the move as discriminatory and a further sign of the marginalisation of the South-East.
The group said it would explore every legal option available to challenge the 30-year concession agreement, under which Aero Alliance Limited has taken over the financing, rehabilitation, expansion, operation and management of the airport.
The handover was recently carried out by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, following the completion of the required documentation. The concession arrangement was facilitated through a public-private partnership with the Enugu State Government.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi, and Secretary, Prof. Jerry Chukwuokolo, the ILT argued that transferring the airport’s management to a private company while other international airports continue to receive Federal Government funding amounts to unequal treatment of the South-East.
According to the group, the concession could affect the long-term development of the airport by limiting government investment in critical areas such as safety infrastructure, operational standards and passenger services.
The assembly recalled that the concession proposal had earlier generated public debate over transparency and the sustainability of private funding for a strategic national asset. It questioned why the Federal Government proceeded with the arrangement despite those concerns.
ILT also expressed reservations about the concessionaire, noting that it had no publicly established record of managing an international airport of similar size either in Nigeria or abroad.
The group pointed out that Akanu Ibiam International Airport is currently the only one among Nigeria’s six international airports to be fully concessioned to a private operator. It questioned why similar arrangements had not been implemented simultaneously at the airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Uyo.
The assembly further noted that while the Federal Government approved a ₦712 billion reconstruction project for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, the Enugu airport was instead handed over to a private company.
According to ILT, the airport has benefited from significant government investments over the years, including its upgrade to international status and a ₦10 billion rehabilitation approved in 2019, making the decision to concession it even more controversial.
The group maintained that the move would slow the growth of the South-East’s only international airport and insisted that the Federal Government should continue funding the facility just as it does with other international airports across the country.
ILT also criticised the government for proceeding with the concession despite concerns previously raised by aviation unions regarding the transparency of the process and the alleged relationship between the concessionaire and some public officials.
The organisation reiterated its commitment to challenging the concession through all lawful means, insisting that the airport should remain under the same funding structure enjoyed by other federally owned international airports.
