Nigeria Air, Concessions remain suspended until the Federal Government reaches a final decision, according to Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. He stated this during his inspection visit to the site of the ongoing runway construction project at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Minister Keyamo emphasised that continuing with the suspended projects despite official warnings would be irresponsible governance. He explained that multiple regulatory agencies have raised serious concerns about both the Nigeria Air initiative and the airport concession deals.
“It would be irresponsible of me as a minister to come in and agencies of government are raising red flags here and there and I would keep quiet,” he said. “I am not talking about people, Nigerians complaining now, agencies of government are raising red flags about both projects and I as a government functionary cannot waive all those red flags away.”
He further clarified that the ultimate decision lies with the Federal Government. According to him, he will present all reports to the relevant authorities, but no decision has been taken yet regarding the future of either project.
Minister Keyamo cautioned interested parties planning to proceed with investments related to these projects. He advised them to wait for the government’s verdict to avoid committing resources prematurely, which could result in national or personal losses.
In a related development, the Minister used his visit to call for accountability and high standards from contractors handling the second runway construction project. He addressed the Managing Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the company managing the construction, warning against the use of sub-standard materials.
“Please, we need to be sure you guys are keeping to standard. Where’s the MD? How many years guarantee are you giving us? At least 10 years,” the Minister said. “We will not rush any procurement after this project is completed, so you must up your game.”
In response, Managing Director of CCECC, David Wang, assured the Minister of full compliance with the required standards. He promised that the new runway would be a hard-surfaced, durable project with a minimum 10-year guarantee, as demanded.
Currently, the Honourable Minister is on an airport facilities tour across Abuja. His focus is to inspect ongoing projects and evaluate service quality across the international and domestic terminals of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport.
Meanwhile, industry observers are keenly awaiting the Federal Government’s final stance on the suspended Nigeria Air project and the proposed concession of airport terminals nationwide. Until then, Nigeria Air, Concessions remain a matter of speculation, caution, and national interest.
