Nigeria’s leading aviation workers’ unions have called for the immediate reversal of the concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, describing the process as opaque, procedurally flawed, and dismissive of labour interests.
The unions — the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), made their position known in a joint letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN.
In the letter titled “Enugu Airport Concession: An Outright Rejection” and dated January 26, 2026, the unions alleged that labour representatives nominated to the concession committee were sidelined during critical stages of the process, particularly on issues relating to workers’ welfare and employment conditions.
The letter was jointly signed by the unions’ general secretaries — Frances Akinjole (ATSSSAN), Sikiru Waheed (NUATE), and Abdulrasaq Saidu (ANAP).
The development follows the signing of a concession agreement between the Federal Government and Aero Alliance for the Enugu airport. At the signing ceremony, the minister stated that the rights and privileges of workers had been fully protected, noting that no employee had been retrenched and that staff would remain under the employment of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
According to the minister, the agreement was the outcome of extensive negotiations involving FAAN officials, the concessionaire, and aviation unions, with workers’ welfare placed “uppermost” in the discussions.
However, the unions rejected this position, insisting that discussions on labour matters were never concluded and that no formal agreement addressing workers’ concerns was reached or signed before the concession was finalised.
“The execution of the final agreement became more disturbing because workers’ representatives in the concession committee were effectively sidelined, thereby sidestepping the necessary labour issues that were supposed to be embedded in the contract,” the unions stated.
They further argued that the lack of transparency surrounding the process has triggered widespread agitation among FAAN staff across airports nationwide, warning that the situation could undermine industrial harmony in the sector.
Describing the concession as a “flagrant display of insensitivity” to the interests of affected workers, the unions formally rejected the agreement and urged the minister to reverse the process to allow due process and proper engagement with labour.
While reaffirming their commitment to industrial peace, the unions warned that workers across airports nationwide have been placed on red alert and may embark on protests if their demand for reversal is not heeded.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” the unions said, adding that failure to address their concerns could lead to wider industrial action within the aviation sector.
