The Federal Government has officially handed over the management of Port Harcourt’s Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport to a private operator under a concession deal.
The Federal Government and PH Airport Limited signed a concession agreement for the Port Harcourt Airport, assuring aviation workers that the arrangement will not lead to any job losses.
Following consultations with aviation labor unions, the agreement was signed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the Group Managing Director of PH Airport Limited, Eyo Asuquo.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the minister’s media aide, Tunde Moshood.
According to the statement, aviation unions led by Ben Nnabue endorsed the agreement after receiving assurances that no employee would be laid off as a consequence of the concession.
Representing the unions, Nnabue stressed that organized labor would never endorse an agreement that threatens its members’ livelihoods, noting that employee welfare and job security were central to their review of the pact.
He added that the unions were satisfied with the assurances provided by both the government and the concessionaire, explaining that their backing followed extensive deliberations regarding the concession’s impact on staff and the future of the airport.
During the signing ceremony, Asuquo pointed out that Port Harcourt’s strategic position in the Gulf of Guinea gives the airport the potential to become a major hub for regional trade, investment, and connectivity.
He added that rather than merely taking over existing operations, the company intends to develop airport-related projects aimed at creating new employment opportunities.
Backstory…
The move follows years of attempts to concession some of the country’s major airports, with the government previously facing resistance from aviation unions over concerns about workers’ welfare and possible job losses.
In June 2026, the government completed a similar arrangement for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, handing its management to Aero Alliance Limited.
Read Also: Group demands for Tinubu to fully rename Port Harcourt airport after Buhari
