The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has officially signed the concession agreement for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu, marking a definitive shift toward private-sector management of South East Nigeria’s primary aviation hub.
The agreement, signed on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, hands over operations to Aero Alliance, a consortium led by Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP). This move follows the Federal Executive Council’s approval on July 31, 2025, and concludes a multi-year procurement process aimed at reversing the financial losses currently sustained by government-run airports.
The 30-year concession framework is strategically designed to transform the airport into a regional logistics powerhouse. Key highlights of the investment plan include the completion of the long-abandoned international terminal and the construction of a brand-new, greenfield cargo terminal.
The latter is expected to unlock export potential for agro-processing and pharmaceutical shipments across the five South East states. Additionally, the agreement mandates the development of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and a significant runway extension to accommodate larger international aircraft.
A central pillar of the negotiation was the protection of the existing workforce. Minister Keyamo emphasized that all current Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) staff at Enugu will be transferred to Aero Alliance for an initial period of 24 months with their terms of employment fully preserved.
There will be no forced redundancies, and any staff deemed redundant after future restructuring will be reabsorbed by the Federal Government. This “labor-first” approach was critical in securing the buy-in of aviation unions who had previously expressed concerns over the privatization of national assets.
The concession aligns with the Enugu State Government’s broader economic vision, which includes the recent launch of Enugu Air, a state-backed airline designed to boost regional connectivity. While the main contract is now signed, final operational details regarding security charges and the financial revenue-sharing model are expected to be finalized within the next few weeks.
Once fully operational under Aero Alliance, the airport is projected to become a “no-exit” logistics node for West Africa, significantly boosting the GDP of the surrounding states through improved passenger facilitation and high-volume cargo trade.
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