Nigeria Signs Port Harcourt Airport Concession

Nigeria’s government has signed a concession agreement transferring management of Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport in Port Harcourt to a private operator, with aviation unions endorsing the arrangement after receiving assurances that workers’ jobs would be protected.

The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development said the agreement was signed in Abuja on November 12, 2026, with President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council approving the deal. The ministry said the concession is intended to bring private capital and expertise into airport operations and development.

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said the government was seeking private investment partly because some airports operate at a loss, while revenue from busier airports is used to support them. He also cited the expense of staffing and operating facilities and said private operators could develop commercial activities beyond aviation services.

The ministry did not state the concession’s duration. Some reports described it as a 30-year agreement, but that term was not confirmed in the ministry’s announcement. The public announcement also did not give an investment amount, revenue-sharing terms...