The federal government is to revisit privatisation of the nation’s international airports, following current controversies generated by concessioning of services by some aviation parastatals.

Aviation Minister, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, who disclosed this in an interview in Lagos Monday, also said the contractor handling the installation of the airfield lighting of domestic runway of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, would soon mobilise to site.

Njeze, who spoke shortly after commissioning ten fire tenders acquired for distribution to airports across the country, said government was not in a hurry to privatise the airports to avoid mistakes made in entering into concessioning agreements by some aviation agencies, especially the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
The Murtala Mhammed Airport, Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Port Harcourt International Airport and Margaret Ekpo International Airport are airports marked down by the federal government for privatisation.
According to him, the federal government wants to ensure that things are properly done concerning the privatisation of the airports for proper management.

She said government was also desirous of updating facilities at the airports marked for privatisation before giving them out.

Njeze said: “ We want to spend time to plan, so that when we start it, we will get it right.  If you concession right now, we already know the problems we are having with concessionaires, and that is the noughty area we want to address before privatisating.

“Definitely, we must revisit the issue of privatising the airports for better management, but government has to play its own role in making sure that we update these facilities.”
On the installation of airfiled lighting for domestic runway(runway 18L) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, the minister said the contractor had mobilised men and materials to site, adding that the facility would be ready soon.
Although the reconstruction of the runway had been concluded about three years ago, work had stalled on the airfield lighting contract, resulting in restriction of the runway only to daylight operations and creating landing problems for pilots when it rains.

But Njeze assured that nothing would stop the airfield lighting project from being completed this time.
“Very soon, the contractor will resume work again.  He has imported all the equipment, all the materials needed for the airfield lighting and about two weeks ago, we awarded contract for PW to come to continue the civil work they are doing with the airfield lighting,” she said.