The four significant air terminals in Nigeria situated in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano were not planned as international facilities, the Federal Government said on Tuesday. 

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said this was the reason the offices had been set up for concession, adding that the air terminals were working below expectations. 

Sirika revealed this at a stakeholders' online webinar during his presentation on Nigerian Airport Concession Strategy. 

In June the Federal Government had set up the Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano air terminals for concession for at least 20 years. 

It gave the clarification in a report on often posed inquiries about air terminal concession delivered by the Federal Ministry of Aviation. 

In a record on the situation with the roadmap/public private association projects concession of air terminals made accessible to our journalist, the public authority named the air terminals/parts that were up for concession. 

They incorporate the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos: worldwide and load terminals; and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja: global, domestic and freight terminals. 

Others incorporate the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt: worldwide, homegrown and load terminals; and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano: global, homegrown and freight terminals. 

Talking on the goals of the concession project at the online course on Tuesday, Sirika said, "The airports in Nigeria are currently operating in a suboptimal environment, most notably due to factors that will have to be improved as part of the public private partnership programme.”

He expressed that there was a pressing requirement for foundation investments and modernisation as all air terminals required ifunding in runway support, navigation aids just as terminal support.

The minister said, “There is relatively low asset utilisation due to the limited opening hours of other smaller Nigerian airports; lack of terminal capacity as the airports fall short of gates, stands and check-in desks.

“The airports have not been designed as international hubs but operate separate international and domestic terminals.”

On transactions, advisors for the task, Sirika named them to incorporate Infrata, Dentons, Proserve, Ciena, and Templars, portraying them as legitimate firms that would inform the Federal Ministry regarding Aviation. 

He said the concessionaires would give the venture needed to overhaul the current terminals, assume control over the new terminals and keep up with them over a period of time dependant on the monetary appraisal of every transaction.