The Federal Ministry of Aviation, in line with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (establishment, etc.) Act, 2005, has issued a request for proposals (RfP) to stakeholders, local and international, development partners and members of the media for the Nigeria Airport Concessions Programme (NACP).
The ministry said the call was made on June 1, 2022, and shortlisted bidders have long been informed via the portal (http://www.nacp.aviation.gov.ng/).
Speaking to the media on the eve of the NACP bidders’ conference before embarking on a tour of international airports in Brazil and Turkey, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, expressed his confidence in driving a transparent and robust concession programme to completion before the end of the year.
“We are delighted to inform all stakeholders and, indeed, all Nigerians that a critical milestone in this programme has now been reached. We anticipate that the programme, including the final negotiations stage, will be concluded before the end of the year. This will allow for the affected assets to be handed over to the absolute best private sector operators well before this administration hands over to a new, duly elected government,” he said.
The bidders’ conference, hosted by the ministry and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) – the substantive regulator for all infrastructure concessions in Nigeria –took place on June 20, 2022, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja and marked a critical milestone in the process of concession for Nigeria’s four international airports and associated assets. These assets comprise of passenger and cargo terminals. Delegates of preferred bidders flew into Nigeria from four countries, with the majority joining online via the NACP’s virtual conferencing facility.
The RfP stage of the programme will close on September 5, 2022.
Speaking at the event, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Abel Enitan added: “We are delighted to see this level of genuine interest in Nigeria’s infrastructure concession programmes and, particularly, this airport concession programme. As the global aviation industry recovers, the level of interest Nigeria enjoys from emerging market investors is a testament to the scale of opportunities Nigeria offers long-term investors who share a positive vision of the nation’s future. We wish all bidders well as they conduct their due diligence and prepare competitive bids for the various assets”.
