Nigeria Signs 30-Year Port Harcourt Airport Concession, Assures Workers of Job Security
The Nigerian Government has signed a 30-year concession agreement for the Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, Port Harcourt, with a private operator, following consultations aimed at protecting aviation workers’ jobs.
The agreement with PH Airport Limited was signed in Abuja on November 12, 2026, under the supervision of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. The concession is intended to attract private investment into airport infrastructure and management while improving operational efficiency.
According to the government’s account reported by Voice of Nigeria on November 13, the minister met aviation union leaders before the signing to address concerns about the future of airport employees.
Ben Nnabue, speaking for the unions, said their endorsement followed assurances that existing aviation workers would not lose their jobs because of the concession. The commitment is significant given longstanding labour concerns about private participation in public airport operations.
PH Airport Limited’s Group Managing Director, Eyo Asuquo, said the company intended to upgrade facilities, improve operational standards and expand commercial opportunities around the airport. These are commitments announced by the concessionaire, not improvements already delivered.
What the agreement means
A concession permits a private company to manage or develop an asset under agreed terms for a defined period; it should not automatically be described as an outright sale. The Port Harcourt arrangement runs for 30 years, according to The Guardian’s account of the signing.
The airport serves Rivers State and the wider South-South region, linking passenger travel with an important centre of commerce and energy-sector activity. The government’s stated expectation is that private investment and management expertise will improve facilities and passenger services.
The development follows earlier federal consideration of airport concessions. TheCable reported that the Federal Executive Council approved the business case for the Port Harcourt concession in November 2025.
The announcement did not, in the cited accounts, establish that all planned upgrades have commenced or specify completed investment amounts. Those details, along with implementation milestones and compliance with labour assurances, remain important matters for public scrutiny as the arrangement takes effect.
Sources: Voice of Nigeria, November 13, 2026; The Guardian, November 12; TheCable, November 12.