The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has brokered an agreement between aviation unions and the concessionaire handling the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) guaranteeing job security for affected workers.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood who made this known in a press statement, the agreement was reached at a high-level meeting convened by the minister with leaders of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), to resolve concerns over the airport’s concession process.
As a major outcome of the meeting, the unions and the concessionaire formally signed an MoU guaranteeing job security and the preservation of staff status for all employees affected by the concession. The agreement provides that no worker will be unjustly displaced and that existing conditions of service will be respected in line with agreed terms.
The meeting focused on workers’ welfare, job security and the long-term sustainability of the airport under the proposed concession arrangement. The minister facilitated discussions aimed at ensuring that aviation sector reforms do not undermine the rights and dignity of workers.
Keyamo commended the leadership of the unions for what he described as constructive engagement and patriotism, noting that the Federal Government remains committed to modernising aviation infrastructure without compromising workers’ welfare.
He said the administration believes infrastructure development and workers’ welfare are not mutually exclusive, adding that reforms in the aviation sector would continue to be guided by fairness, inclusivity and national interest.
The resolution of the dispute over the concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport is seen as a significant step in the Federal Government’s ongoing aviation sector reforms, balancing private sector participation with the protection of public sector workers.
The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development reaffirmed its commitment to continuous engagement with stakeholders to ensure a competitive, efficient and sustainable aviation industry in Nigeria.
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