The Murtala Muhammed Airport entered into a new part of history when necessity beckoned on private investors to activate the principle of public private partnership (PPP) policy almost two decades ago.
History came calling when the hitherto General Aviation Terminal one at the local airport was mysteriously gutted by fire in May 1999, razing down the whole terminal building.
It took the country years to rebuild the terminal from ashes as government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) did not have the financial capacity to erect another terminal building.
After intrigues and counter intrigues from all principal actors, the government chose to throw open the bidding for the construction of another terminal under a public private partnership scheme.
The bidding for the construction of the new terminal, which was keenly contested by many private companies, saw the duo of Royal Sanderton and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services reaching the top level.
At the end of the day, Royal Sanderton emerged as the preferred bidder, while Bi-Courtney Limited, a wholly indigenous conglomerate and the parent company of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), was the reserve bidder.
Owing to the prolonged delay in starting the project, the federal Government invited Bi-Courtney to take up the responsibility, consequently, in 2003, the Nigerian government awarded the concession to design, build and operate MMA2 and ancillary facilities to Bi- Courtney Limited.
It is no doubt that with the final takeover of the new terminal by Bi-Courtney, even a blind man knows that the edifice that emanated out of the rubbles of the burnt terminal has not only become a masterpiece but the first of its type in the history of aviation in the country”
Apart from being the first investment to be under a PPP arrangement, the edifice mounted by Bi-Courtney in place of the burnt terminal has since become a source of pride and a pacesetter in the sector.
Since the takeover of the terminal by Bi-Courtney though with controversy raging over the number years the private operator was supposed to manage the terminal under a Build Operate and Transfer, Bi-Courtney has never left anyone in doubt about its ability and capacity to keep giving airport users the value for their money through the facilities installed there.
Following the rate at which the managers of the private terminal has been upgrading the terminal through new innovations with the facilities that can compete favourably with other climes, the resilience of Bi-Courtney reached its peak during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo when his government granted it approval to commence regional flight operations from the terminal.
The good news was unfortunately short lived under the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan which frustrated the move despite the investment of over N600 million on the facilities installed to enhance regional flights.
Unfortunately, even when the ministerial committee on airport security in 2016 certified the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 fit to commence regional operations out of the terminal, subsequent government’s continued to play dirty politics with the terminal.
The political suicide continues up till now, while the standard facilities like those installed in major international airports like Charles De Gaulle, Bangkok International, the airport terminal in Mauritius and more than 200 airports worldwide are wasting away.
Anyone who visits the terminal for the first time may be moved to tears seeing a well equipped terminal like the MMA2 having Gates 5 and 6 already dedicated to regional flights rusting away even when the government terminal buildings at both the GAT one at the local and the one at the international wing of the airport are performing below expectations.
It is hoped that the present government of President Bola Tinubu through the Minister Of Aviation And Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo will urgently review this anti-investment policy with a view to encouraging private investments.
Without any doubt, with the facilities installed at the MMA2 Terminal, operating regional flights from the place will serve as an alternative to the over congested terminals of government in existence.
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