Delta Govt Sets To Concession Asaba Airport, Opens Bids Process

The Delta State Government has commenced moves for the concessioining of the Asaba International Airport to make it more commercially viable.

BIGPEN Online understands that the bids process opened on Wednesday May 22, 2019 with two consortia, FIDMA/MA and AIMS becoming the favourite bidders.

At the opening of the bids by the transaction adviser on the concessioning of the airport, HALCROW Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, representatives of the consortia were in attendance.

Speaking during the meeting, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa stated that his desire is to have an airport that is of international standards running effectively in Delta State. 

According to Governor Okowa who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government,  Rt. Hon. Festus Ovie Agas, “we are happy with the interest of various consortia for the Asaba Airport concession and want to reassure you that the bids will be diligently analysed by the transaction advisers.”

“As a government, we are committed to building an effective and efficient airport and to make the Asaba Airport a hub with support and cooperation of the private sector; I want to assure you that Delta State is ready and open for business,” the governor said.

FIDC/MA Consortium and AIMS Consortium led by Adanwimo Ezeife and Chief Onome Onokpasa respectively commended  the transparency and fairness of the bidding process, stating that they look forward to the announcement of the results of the technical evaluation.

Senior Policy Adviser to Governor Okowa, Prof. Sylvester Monye had said the Delta State government has built a world-class airport and is interested in its effective operation.

While disclosing the modalities involved in the bidding process, Prof. Monye asserted, “building an airport is one thing running it effectively is another; what we have done is coming up with the idea of concessioning the airport to take it to the level we want it to be; we want it to be a win – win situation and decided to do a fast track   by considering a model that will believe will work with a master concessionary and sub concessionary”.

BIGPEN Online recalls that Governor Okowa while addressing the 14th All Nigeria Editors Conference in Asaba last year had announced the privatisation of the airport, saying that to effectively manage the Asaba Airport, and improve on the state’s IGR, the government had put necessary machinery in place to commercialise or privatise the airport.

The governor had said that the airport, which was downgraded in 2014 had now been upgraded to category six, to enable it take bigger planes like Boeing 737.

The governor explained that government’s plan was to develop the airport into a cargo airport, adding that since government could not effectively manage the facility, it resolved to engage the private sector.

He said: “We got technical advice to privatise or commercialise the airport and we have published for investors to bid for it.”

Photograph in this story: Secretary to the Delta State Government, Rt Hon Ovie Agas (4^th right), Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Prof Sylvester Monye  (left standing), Chairman, Delta State Investment Development Agency, Chief Afam Obiagu, (right), Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr Kingsley Emu (2^nd right), and the Director General, Delta State Capital Development Agency, Chief Clement Ofuani, during the opening of the concessionary bids of the Asaba International Airport in Asaba. Photo credit: BRIPIN ENARUSAI