By Micah Jonah
January 25, 2026
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, has welcomed the signing of the concession agreement for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, describing it as a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to deploy Public Private Partnerships to modernise critical national infrastructure and a major boost for the South Eastern economy.
Director General of the ICRC, Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, in a statement, said the PPP agreement signed by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, on behalf of the Federal Government, underscores the growing momentum of PPPs as a central pillar of infrastructure delivery under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
The transaction was undertaken under the regulatory guidance of the ICRC, which ensured compliance with the national PPP framework. This included the certification of the business cases, due diligence, negotiations, approval by the Federal Executive Council and vetting of the concession agreement by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Dr Ewalefoh described the signing as a strong signal of Nigeria’s readiness to deepen private sector participation in infrastructure development, noting that the transaction marks the project’s commercial close and sets the stage for full implementation in the coming phases.
He said the Enugu Airport concession aligns with the Commission’s ongoing efforts to streamline PPP processes, strengthen inter agency collaboration and accelerate project delivery, with far reaching implications for economic expansion across all sectors and regions of the country.
Dr Ewalefoh also urged other state governments to emulate the growing example set by subnational leaders such as the Governors of Enugu, Ondo, Cross River and Lagos States, among others, who are leveraging Public Private Partnerships to attract investment, accelerate infrastructure delivery, drive inclusive economic growth in their states.
