The industrial crisis looming over the concession of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, was averted on Wednesday after aviation unions and the concessionaire reached a truce, guaranteeing workers’ job security.
The resolution followed the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, through a meeting held in his office in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting had leaders of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, alongside representatives of the airport concessionaire and ministry officials, in attendance.
The agreement followed weeks of anxiety among aviation workers who feared possible job losses and changes to employment conditions under the proposed concession arrangement.
The Federal Government has, in recent years, intensified efforts to concession major airports as part of broader aviation sector reforms aimed at improving infrastructure, attracting private investment, and enhancing operational efficiency.
However, aviation unions have consistently insisted that concessions must not undermine public sector employment or transfer national assets without adequate safeguards.
The situation at Akanu Ibiam International Airport became a flashpoint after workers expressed fears that the concession process could alter service conditions, create uncertainty over pensions and career progression, and weaken labour protections.
Union leaders went on to disrupt flight operations at the Enugu airport over concerns that the airport was ceded to concessionaires without taking adequate care of workers’ interests.
However, after what participants described as “extensive and frank deliberations,” both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding securing the future of affected employees.
According to the agreement, no aviation worker will be unjustly displaced, while existing staff status, conditions of service, and welfare protections will be preserved in line with negotiated terms.
Speaking after the meeting, Keyamo said the Federal Government would not pursue infrastructure reforms at the expense of Nigerian workers. He said, “This administration believes strongly in dialogue, fairness, and inclusivity. Infrastructure development and workers’ welfare are not mutually exclusive. We will continue to ensure that every reform process is guided by compassion, equity, and the overriding national interest.”
Keyamo commended the leadership of ATSSSAN, NUATE, and ANAP for what he described as maturity and patriotism during negotiations. “This outcome shows that reform and social responsibility can go hand in hand. We are building an aviation sector that is modern, competitive, and people-centred.”
