Nigeria grants Port Harcourt airport concession as unions approve
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on ThisDay
Nigeria has signed with PH Airport Limited the concession of Port Harcourt International Airport in the south of the country, and aviation unions have approved the agreement after obtaining guarantees on worker protection. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo described the operation as a step in repositioning Nigeria’s airport sector, according to a statement from his office.
Nigerian aviation unions have approved the concession of Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport in Port Harcourt after obtaining assurances that no jobs would be cut as part of the operation, according to Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development. The federal government signed the agreement with PH Airport Limited, led by its managing director Eyo Asuquo.
Ben Nnabue, president of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), said job protection was a fundamental condition for the unions’ approval. Discussions with trade union organisations focused on the consequences of the concession for aviation workers and the future of the airport, according to a statement from the Aviation Minister’s media adviser, Tunde Moshood.
The agreement was presented by Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo as a step intended to promote private-sector participation, infrastructure development and efficiency in the aviation sector. Eyo Asuquo, for his part, highlighted Port Harcourt’s potential as a gateway to trade, investment and regional connections in the Gulf of Guinea.
The signing comes after the 30-year concession of Port Harcourt airport, announced on 12 November 2026.
