The Federal Government has completed the handover of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, to Aero Alliance under a concession agreement, paving the way for major investments, expanded cargo operations, and new economic opportunities across the South East. Writing Historic Concession Of Enugu Airport Opens Powerful New Economic Opportunities For South East
ENUGU, June 25, 2026 – The Federal Government has officially completed the handover of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, to Aero Alliance Limited under a public-private partnership concession arrangement, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s aviation and infrastructure development agenda.
The concession agreement empowers Aero Alliance to finance, rehabilitate, expand, operate, and manage the airport with the objective of transforming it into a world-class aviation facility that meets international standards of safety, efficiency, and passenger experience.
The development was hailed by stakeholders as a major economic breakthrough for the South East, with expectations that the concession will stimulate investment, boost regional trade, and strengthen aviation connectivity.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony at the international terminal of the airport on Thursday, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for driving the successful implementation of the long-awaited concession.
Keyamo noted that previous attempts by successive administrations to concession Nigerian airports had yielded limited interest in Enugu and Port Harcourt, while investors focused primarily on Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. According to him, the situation has dramatically changed due to the strategic vision and economic reforms being pursued by the Tinubu administration and the Enugu State Government.
He disclosed that Governor Mbah had presented a comprehensive aviation development plan to President Tinubu shortly after assuming office, outlining his vision of transforming Enugu into a major aviation and investment destination.
“Dr. Peter Mbah came with a plan for Enugu. He did not come and begin to assess the situation. He is a governor who came into office with a plan. Today, we are glad that we have found in him the perfect partnership we need between the federal and state governments,” Keyamo said.
The minister expressed confidence in Aero Alliance’s capacity to deliver on the objectives of the concession and urged the company to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, operational excellence, transparency, and safety.
He also dismissed concerns over potential job losses, assuring that the concession arrangement would create employment opportunities and expand economic activities around the airport. Also speaking, Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Ewalefor, described the transaction as a historic achievement for Nigeria’s infrastructure development programme.
Ewalefor commended Governor Mbah’s persistence and strategic engagement with investors, stating that the governor’s credibility played a significant role in attracting private capital to the project. He further revealed that cargo flight operations between Enugu and Guangzhou, China, are expected to commence within the next few months, a development expected to significantly improve trade and logistics opportunities in the region.
“The Enugu Air project and the agreement from Guangzhou to Enugu are enough traffic to create viability,” he stated.
In his remarks, Governor Peter Mbah described the successful concession as the beginning of a new era of economic transformation for the South East. According to the governor, businesses across the region have long faced logistics challenges that increased operational costs and reduced competitiveness. He said the airport concession would unlock new opportunities for trade, investment, manufacturing, exports, tourism, and regional integration.
“It opens a new chapter of economic possibilities because businesses across our region have for long grappled with logistics constraints that increased costs, lengthened delivery timelines, and limited competitiveness,” Mbah stated.
He expressed optimism that future generations would regard the concession as a defining moment in the transformation of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport into a globally competitive gateway connecting the South East to international markets.
The governor also encouraged local and foreign investors to take advantage of the growing opportunities within Enugu State.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of Aero Alliance Limited, Saleem Hussain, assured stakeholders that the consortium would deploy its more than three decades of aviation industry experience to transform the airport into one of Africa’s leading aviation, logistics, and commercial hubs.
Hussain said the company’s development strategy would focus on enhanced connectivity, cargo operations, passenger experience, commercial infrastructure, technology deployment, and operational excellence.
Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Enugu State Ministry of Transport, and other aviation stakeholders also pledged their support to ensure the success of the concession for the benefit of the South East region and the country at large.
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