Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has said that the Federal Government concessioned the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, in order to aid private sector investments. He recently highlighted the inefficiencies in government-run operations, and Nigerians have been reacting.
Speaking at the official launch of Enugu Air, the state-owned airline established by the Governor Peter Mbah administration, Keyamo revealed that the concession process was a very transparent one and it was approved by all relevant authorities, including President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
According to him, it is impossible for the government to run airports and attract meaningful private sector investments at the same time, and doing that for a long time is the reason why the Enugu Airport kept running at a loss for years.
He stated that now that the governor has embraced a private-sector approach, Enugu residents are set to enjoy an aviation hub that is of a global standard in the state.
“The government cannot successfully run airports and attract meaningful private sector investments simultaneously. We are currently operating the Enugu Airport at a loss. With the governor’s private-sector drive, we are now creating an international aviation hub right here in Enugu,” he said.
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He further noted that the concession was led by Governor Mbah’s tireless pursuit of development, stressing that he personally visited Abuja several times to push for federal approvals.
Keyamo declared federal approval for regional flight operations from Enugu to African nations, hailing the choice of XEJet, a 100% Nigerian-owned aviation company presently running Sierra Leone’s national airline, as the operational partner for Enugu Air.
He disclosed that despite the fact that Governor Mbah is from a different political party, it is clear that he is one of the best-performing Nigerian governors right now.
“Dr. Peter Mbah was the first governor to visit me after I was sworn in. He never gave me breathing space. His pace is incredible. Even though he is of a different political party, we must admit he is one of the best-performing governors in Nigeria today,” he added.
Governor Mbah concluded by describing the launch of Enugu Air as “a triumph of vision and a bold leap toward economic transformation.”
