Pennick: Ghost Staff, Poor Culture Hurt Airport Concessions

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BY ANTHONY OMOH

Managing Director of Asaba International Airport, Mr. Christophe Pennick, has decried the entrenched entitlement culture and inefficient personnel structure that plague Nigeria’s airport concession efforts, warning that without urgent reforms, private investment will remain constrained.

Speaking at the 25th Airports Business Summit & Expo held at the NiGAV Centre, Pennick, a former Chief Executive Officer of MMA2, revealed that when the Delta State Government handed over the concession of Asaba Airport four years ago, the company was faced with a shocking reality: 128 staff were on the payroll, yet fewer than 40 ever showed up to work.

“We conducted interviews. Many asked, ‘Do I really have to come to work?’ They had been paid to stay home,” he said. “There was no accountability. Only two of the listed 128 staff agreed to transition to our company.”

This burden of unproductive labour, Pennick noted, is one of the hidden costs that discourage serious investors from venturing into airport concessions.

Beyond the human resources issues, Pennick said the Asaba Airport Company had to overhaul critical infrastructure. The facility appeared functional on the outside but was deteriorated within.

“Everything had to be redone. We replaced the entire electrical network, the runway lighting system, and CCTV installations,” Pennick disclosed.

He added, “Half the runway lights were dead. There was no power infrastructure. We built a solar-powered backup linked to the state’s Independent Power Plant.”

According to him, the cost-intensive nature of rebuilding failing airport assets is grossly underestimated by policymakers and decision-makers alike.

“Running an airport is capital heavy. From runway upgrades to staff retraining, the money going out is often equal to or more than revenue coming in,” he emphasized.

Pennick also described the expensive task of training staff who were originally posted from unrelated ministries, including agriculture and entertainment.

“They had no aviation background,” he said. “We had to start from scratch. That adds a layer of cost and slows development.”

Despite these difficulties, he explained that Asaba Airport remains one of the few Nigerian airports operating under full private control.

The arrangement covers both terminal and airside operations—something rare across Nigeria’s airport network.

He acknowledged Asaba Airport’s relatively stable traffic but warned that many other state-owned airports are not so fortunate.

“Some airports only handle one or two flights per week. You can’t sustain a business like that,” he cautioned.

Pennick urged stakeholders to rethink Nigeria’s aviation map. He cited Asaba, Anambra, Enugu, Benin, and Abakaliki—all reachable within 20 minutes by air.

“If proper road or rail networks existed, one well-run airport could serve the entire region,” he said.

He returned to the cost-intensive nature of rebuilding failing airport assets, highlighting the inefficiencies in Nigeria’s current airport development strategy.

“Each new terminal built in isolation needs its own apron, power, water, and security. That’s not sustainable. We’re duplicating instead of scaling,” he argued.

On engagement with host governments, Pennick admitted there were early misunderstandings, despite a detailed 148-page concession agreement with Delta State.

“Officials, priests, and local chiefs refused to pay tolls or parking initially,” he said. “It took four years for many to realise payment is essential.”

He noted that cooperation with state authorities is improving, but only through consistent dialogue and enforcement of contractual terms.

Still, Pennick believes Nigeria can succeed with airport concessions if partnerships are founded on professionalism and respect.

He pointed to Asaba Airport’s collaboration with Brussels Airport as a working model involving both public and private interests.

However, he stressed that success requires local discipline. “You cannot bring in foreign partners only to treat them like they owe you,” he warned.