Three nations approach BASL to build terminals, eyes more concessions

To underscore its reputation for building the first private airport terminal in Nigeria, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), the operators of the ultra-modern Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) has been approached by three African countries to build to help them in the provision of the airport terminal in their countries.

Chairman, BASL, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN) made the disclosure today at a press briefing at the firm’s regional operations section at the Lagos airport.

Although Babalakin declined to mention the countries that had engaged his firm in airport infrastructure development, he however stated that the company has the capability to invest in infrastructure in any part of the world.

He equally expressed the desire to take part in the planned concession of the Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, and Kano airports under the concession agenda of the Federal Government.

There are indications that BASL may have submitted a bid to be a preferred bidder for one of the airport terminals slated for concession and which had reached advanced stages.

“I think it will be better to consult those who have track records. Before MMA2, nobody talked about terminals but after the completion of MMA2, Bauchi, Dutse now have terminals and I think Anambra State is planning to have one. We have succeeded immensely as an eye-opener to aviation infrastructure development in Nigeria”.

He appealed that his company should even be given the right of the first offer in the bidding because the BASL has shown expertise and has excelled in infrastructure development going by its track record in airports infrastructure provision.

The 36 years concession granted to Bi-Courtney to Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) of the ultra-modern MMA2 was initially very unpopular at inception among policymakers in the sector and as such had suffered untold neglect and or outright rejection particularly from those who ought to know better are now embracing the idea after it became clear that government could no longer sustain enormously funds channeled into airport infrastructure.

This certainly is not unconnected with the many positives that are derivable from the system.

Investigation by Aviation Metric shows that that the efficiency in the way the terminal is being managed attracted even airlines that have their operational base at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), known as domestic airport terminal 1 (MMA1) and they routed some of their flights from MMA2.

Babalakin disclosed that BASL has no issue with the 36 years of concession agreement of MMA2 but lamented that the authorities refused to release the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) to it which he said was one of the conditions for concession.

“There is a bid going on for the four international terminals, In other climes, the authorities will call on those who have done it before. But what is the success rate of the companies coming to Nigeria to operate? How can government bring expertise from overseas when you have them locally?

” BASL is interested in anything that is intellectual infrastructure development. I am a lawyer and an infrastructure developer, we are interested in the concession, in fact, we should be the first option because, in very organised countries, we would be given a first option offer. And maybe, our participation will make the process a fair one”, he said.

While insisting that there is no controversy over the 36 years of concession of the terminal, he said the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) belongs to BASL by law.

“The GAT was handed over to us by the government but it at the same time, decided to enhance it and compete with us. The worse that can happen to an investor is for your competitor to have government money to compete and it is totally wrong for the authority to be competing in the same sphere”.

“We have won the case at the Arbitration, High Court, Appeal Court and at Supreme but the authority is not just undermining the whole process but de-marketing Nigeria. We have agreed on everything but the only issue is GAT; we can’t let go because it is part of our concession agreement. It is unfortunate that people are just making a mockery of Nigeria’s Jurisprudence, ”, he added.

Babalakin further lamented enormous revenue lost by the terminal operators for denying it use of some of its under-utilised facilities for regional operations.

“The airlines are also losing money too, the fuel cost of taxiing from domestic to the internal wing is a major cost for them. We have an agreement to start regional flights, with the government but the government has refused to implement it”.

Wole Shadare