Shortlists expected on African airports
A source working in Nigeria said that work was continuing on the procurement of the US$600m Nigeria project to build and operate a new international airport in Lekki, but warned that a delay now seems likely.
He said: "The PPP sector in Nigeria is quiet right now. There have been announcements about PPP projects coming out of Nigeria, but there has been no big push towards it."
"There were a few calls for expressions of interest (EOI) on projects last year, but the country often does that. It's mostly political; they want private sector involvement, but after EOI they don't know the next step."
The Lagos State Government issued the EOI for the project in August last year. The authority's financial adviser Stanbic IBTC Bank announced after it closed on 14 September 2011 that 33 firms had expressed and interest, with over half the firms being based in Nigeria. The list also included international companies such as Bouygues, Isolux, Hyundai, Orascom, Samsung and Turkey’s TAV Airports.
The Rwandan government issued an EOI in September for the construction of a new passenger terminal at Bugesera International Airport under a 25-year design, build, finance, maintain and operate deal.
A shortlist from the 37 EOIs was expected before Christmas, but an announcement has yet to be made. The authority's private sector advisor for the project was unable to comment.
