The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has hailed the resolution of the longstanding Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two concession dispute as a transformative milestone for Nigeria’s investment climate, describing President Bola Tinubu’s intervention as a decisive signal that the country was serious about honouring contracts and creating a predictable regulatory environment for private capital.
Commission Director-General Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh said the breakthrough, which came after a dispute that had persisted across multiple administrations, removed critical constraints that had been blocking new aviation infrastructure development in Lagos and sent a powerful message to domestic and international investors that Nigeria was capable of resolving complex public-private partnership disputes through transparent and forward-looking processes.
The MMA2 impasse had originated from disagreements between the federal government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited over the execution of the concession agreement, particularly around exclusivity clauses and the development of competing or complementary infrastructure within the airport corridor.
The resolution followed a coordinated process involving the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, FAAN, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, and the ICRC, which provided regulatory concurrence in line with established guidelines. The outcome removed restrictive provisions that had blocked further development, restoring clarity to the concession framework and clearing the way for new aviation projects in Lagos, including the proposed Lekki Airport and associated commercial facilities.
“With the removal of these constraints, Nigeria can now fully explore critical aviation projects that had been stalled, creating new opportunities for growth and investment,” Ewalefoh said. “When investors see that a dispute of this magnitude can be resolved effectively, it reinforces confidence in policy stability, regulatory certainty, and respect for agreements, the key pillars for successful public-private partnerships.”
He also commended Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo for his leadership and role in facilitating the resolution, and pledged that the commission would sustain regulatory oversight to ensure future concessions were better structured and more closely aligned with national development priorities.
