The Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, the Federal Government agency supervising the concession of the nation’s four main international airports, has completed the evaluation of 13 companies that have submitted Requests for Qualification to participate in the bidding process.
Punch reports that the development came about five weeks after the Federal Government closed the RFQ on October 25, 2021, having extended the deadline from September 25, 2021.
The ICRC had revealed that a total of 13 airport consortia, comprising local and foreign companies, submitted bids to be prequalified for the planned concession of the four airports.
The PUNCH had also reported that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Terminal Two, Lagos, was among the firms that submitted the RFQs for the airport concession programme.
Maevis Nigeria Limited, a local firm and former concessionaire with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, was also among the bidders.
Others include operators of the Singapore’s Changi Airport, operators of France’s Charles de Gaulle Airport, and operators of Ethiopia’s Airport.
Speaking with The PUNCH in an exclusive interview on Thursday, the spokesperson for the ICRC, Mrs Manji Yarling, revealed that the agency had completed the evaluation of the 13 companies that submitted RFQs.
She said the ICRC had forwarded its report to the Federal Government’s Transaction Adviser on the airport concession project.
According to Yarling, the TA is expected to work on the report and send it to the Ministry of Aviation for necessary actions.
She said, “The ICRC Evaluation Team is done with its work and the evaluation report is currently being worked on by the TA. Once that is ready and approved, successful firms will be issued RFP (request for proposals).”
Following the development, the Ministry of Aviation is expected to issue RFPs to qualified bidders for their response as soon as the TA completes its work.
“The Ministry of Aviation reminds all stakeholders that this is a multistage programme and that RFQ stage will be followed with a Request for Proposal, which shall be published and sent directly to qualified bidders for their response,” the spokesperson for the Ministry of Aviation, Mr James Odaudu, had said some months ago while commenting on the process.
Meanwhile, Bi-Courtney argued on Thursday that it was important for the Federal Government to allow the nation’s international airports to be managed by a Nigerian company with pedigree in airport management.
The Group Executive Director, Resort International Limited, the parent company for Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Mr. Luqman Balogun, said the airport management company had shown excellence in airport management in the past 14 years of managing the MMA2, adding that it was only normal for the government to give the company a chance to extend its expertise to the international terminals.
Balogun described Bi-Courtney as the barometer for airport concession in the country.
According to him, the company applied to partake in the concession bidding process because it is qualified to run the nation’s international airport terminal, not minding the fact that it has outstanding judgement in its favour to be given the first right of refusal.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, he said, “This is the only place we can claim good relevance that we deserve what we deserve. Government is a continuous process. Some governments may be very friendly, others may not.
“The facility (MMA2) we are managing, we are managing it on behalf of the Federal Government. It’s not ours; it belongs to the government. That facility, at the end of the concession, goes back to the government. We need to ensure that we follow the rules of engagement, because if the government is going to advance things, we are going to be the reference point.
“It is not as if you walk into MM2, and things are not working or not functioning; things are functioning. The airport is the best compared to other airports. Yet you are not fulfilling your obligation, you are not providing things, how do you think others would turn out.”
He added, “Government needs to do some reflection on the fact that they won’t attract investors if they do not follow the rule of law. There are a lot of issues, court cases awarded in our favour. Until now, the government is yet to do the needful. We need to follow whatever outcome of the judiciary.
