Nigeria’s Federal government plans to privatize some four major airport in the Africa’s most populous nation in 2016 in an effort to improve on the ports’ management and revitalize the country’s aviation sector infrastructure.
Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, hinted on the privatization of the Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano international airports by December 2016.
The four airports are being expanded to enable them handle more traffic and passengers.
“As a result of limited resources for capital project development, the government is exploring the possibility of private sector participation towards the realization of the industries’ potential,” Amaechi told a press briefing during a fact-finding and evaluation tour of the Murtala Muhammed Airport last week.
“Nigeria’s huge population puts enormous pressure on a very poor transport infrastructure that bedevils the nation,” he added.
Amaechi said once constructions are complete the Lagos airport, which is the largest in the country, will be able to 30 million passengers annually, double what it has been accommodating previously.
“The medium and long-term plans will require significant investments to upgrade and expand infrastructure to meet current and future requirements.”
