The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has led a delegation comprising officials of the Ministry, agencies and labour union representatives in the aviation sector to understudy and inspect two airports that have been successfully concessioned.
The two airports visited included the Istanbul Airport in Turkey and the Brasilia Airport in Brazil, a statement by Mr James Odaudu, the minister’s aide said.
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The team that visited the two airports with the minister included the Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Zaria, Captain Alkali Modibbo; Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Matthew Lawrence Pwajok; Transaction Adviser on Airport Concession, Dr. Abba Ibrahim; Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Michael Ohiani; Secretary-General of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Saidu Abdulrazak; and Secretary-General of NUATE, Ocheme Abah, among others.
According to the minister, “the essence of the visit to the two airports was to dispel all doubts and suspicion regarding the sincerity of the federal government in respect of the concession programme and to reassure the labour force of the inherent benefits of the programme,” the statement said.
The minister further stated that the choice of the two airports was based on their popularity, size and success stories in concession which, he said, will serve as a guide on the concession model and contribute to the successful delivery of the programme.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that the principles of transparency and accountability which have been the hallmark of the process from inception will remain till the final delivery of the project.
At the two airports, the team was presented with visual stories of their transition and the positive impact of their concessions.
