Labour unions in the aviation industry have called on President Bola Tinubu to halt the ongoing concession process of key airports across the country, citing a lack of transparency and disregard for workers’ interests.
They made the call during a union congress held at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters in Lagos, where union leaders and aviation workers gathered to express deep concerns over what they described as a “deceptive” concession arrangement being carried out without adequate consultation.
President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ben Nnabue, led the call for a total restart of the process.
He insisted that the current arrangement has excluded critical stakeholders particularly aviation workers and failed to follow due process.
According to him, the unions were not involved in any meaningful discussion and are unaware of how the bidding process was initiated or concluded.
Comrade Nnabue stressed that no airport concession should proceed without first resolving all outstanding labour issues, warning that the Federal Ministry of Aviation, led by the Minister, Festus Keyamo, has already gone ahead to secure Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval for the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, despite unresolved concerns from workers.
He criticized the secrecy surrounding the entire process, stating that the airports belong to all Nigerians and should not be handed over to private interests without open and competitive bidding.
“This is a federal institution. You cannot, at midnight, decide who to give it to without involving the public. We are demanding that the process be cancelled and restarted transparently, with global advertisements that allow all interested parties to participate”.
He also questioned the selective nature of the concession plan, warning that “cherry-picking” airports undermines the principle of equity, as revenue from high-performing airports is often used to support underperforming ones.
Supporting the NUATE president’s position, President General of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Alale Adedayo, condemned what he described as the exclusion of union representatives from the decision-making process.
According to him, the unions were only invited to two meetings both of which required their insistence before the ministry moved swiftly to secure federal approval.
Comrade Adedayo described the process as one that lacks credibility, noting that despite earlier promises by the Minister to involve labour in discussions, no further consultations took place.
He called for a full reversal of the process and for proper re-advertisement of the concession in national dailies, running for at least six months to ensure transparency and give room for competitive bidding.
The ANAP’s president also emphasized that the welfare of staff must be factored into any future concession agreements.
Both union leaders reiterated that aviation workers are not opposed to reform or improvement of airport infrastructure but will resist any move that sidelines them or threatens their welfare and job security.
They vowed to continue mobilizing until their concerns are addressed and a more inclusive, transparent approach is adopted.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen