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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to investigate the performance of concessionaires operating Nigeria’s federal air and sea ports, amid growing questions over the real benefits accruing to the Federal Government.

Speaking at the inauguration on Tuesday at the National Assembly, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Rep. Loari Kwamoti, said the probe would cover concession agreements and related shipping activities spanning 2006 to 2025.

Speaker Abbas explained that the original decision to concession major national assets was aimed at improving efficiency, modernising infrastructure, attracting private investment and boosting government revenue.

He said: “It is with a deep sense of duty and constitutional responsibility that I stand before you today to inaugurate this Ad-Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives, constituted to investigate, examine, and appraise the performance of concessionaires operating federal air and sea port terminals, as well as related shipping activities, from 2006 to 2025, and to determine the actual benefits accrued to the Federal Government of Nigeria over this period.

“Nearly two decades after the commencement of these concession arrangements, it is both timely and imperative for the Legislature, as representatives of the Nigerian people, to undertake a comprehensive review of their outcomes”.

The Speaker emphasised that the exercise was not intended to discourage private sector involvement but to fulfil the House’s oversight responsibilities.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this exercise is not an attempt to undermine legitimate private sector participation, it is rather an expression of the House’s constitutional mandate to conduct oversight, ensure accountability, and safeguard national interest.

“Nigerians deserve to know whether these concessions have delivered value for money, complied with contractual obligations, enhanced national competitiveness, protected public assets, and contributed meaningfully to economic growth, employment, and revenue generation”, he added.

Abbas outlined the committee’s wide-ranging mandate, which includes reviewing concession agreements, assessing revenue remittances to government, examining compliance with regulatory and safety standards, evaluating infrastructure development and service quality, and identifying gaps within the concession framework.

“The scope of this Committee’s assignment is broad and critical,” he said, adding that the panel is also expected to produce “clear, practicable recommendations to improve policy, legislation, and future concession arrangements.”

Charging members of the committee to act with integrity, the Speaker said, “The House has reposed enormous confidence in your integrity, competence, and sense of patriotism. You are expected to carry out this assignment with objectivity, professionalism, and transparency, guided solely by facts, documents, and the overriding national interest.”

He therefore urged the panel to engage stakeholders openly and avoid prejudged outcomes.

“Let your proceedings be thorough, evidence-based, and free from preconceived conclusions.

“The outcome of this investigation will not only shape public confidence in concessioning as a policy tool but will also inform future reforms in public-private partnerships across critical sectors of our economy. History will judge us by how faithfully we discharge this responsibility to the Nigerian people,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, th Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Rep. Kolawole Akinlayo, said that the National Assembly will leave no stone unturned in determining whether the country has truly benefited from nearly two decades of concession arrangements.

The Chairman said the panel was set up in response to mounting national concerns over transparency, performance and value for money in the management of Nigeria’s air and sea ports between 2006 and 2025.

“I warmly welcome you all to this inaugural session of the Ad-hoc Committee mandated to investigate, review, and appraise the performance of all concessionaires and NPA-operated ports, terminals, logistics facilities, and related inbound and outbound shipping activities spanning the period 2006 to 2025, pursuant to House Resolution HR. 130/12/2025.

“These assets—our seaports, airports, terminals, and jetties—are not ordinary commercial facilities. They are sovereign economic gateways, national security infrastructure, and critical enablers of trade, mobility, and development,” he said.

He explained that the House resolved to establish the committee because of the strategic importance of maritime and port infrastructure to national revenue, trade facilitation and economic growth.

The Chairman noted that the committee’s work would be comprehensive, transparent and accountable, with engagements planned across a wide range of institutions and stakeholders.

“The House of Representatives, recognizing the critical importance of our nation’s maritime and port infrastructure to economic growth, trade facilitation, and national revenue generation, resolved to establish this Committee to ensure a thorough and evidence-based review of the benefits accruing to the Federal Government from these operations.

“In executing this mandate, the Committee will engage relevant government agencies, regulatory bodies, and private sector stakeholders. These includes the Nigerian Ports Authority, concessionaires, NIMASA, Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Shippers’ Council, crude oil and gas terminal operators, vessel owners, importers, shipping companies and banks.

“Our engagements will focus on compliance with applicable laws, operational efficiencies, complaints of statutory breaches, and revenue performance, among other critical areas.

“Our objective is clear: to ensure that the Federal Government and the Nigerian people derive maximum benefits from our port and terminal operations, that revenues due are fully captured, and that operational lapses or inefficiencies are identified and addressed.

“This is not only an exercise in review but a critical step toward strengthening governance, promoting accountability, and fostering an enabling environment for sustainable growth in Nigeria’s maritime sector”, he stated.

He called for cooperation and professionalism, and urged both committee members and stakeholders to rise above narrow interests.

“I call on all members of this Committee, and all stakeholders we shall engage, to approach this mandate with the highest sense of duty, professionalism, and commitment to the national interest.

“This Committee understands the weight of this responsibility. We are determined to leave behind a legacy of stronger infrastructure governance, improved service delivery, enhanced investor discipline, and restored public confidence in Nigeria’s concession programme.

“I therefore call on all participants to approach this process with seriousness, candour, and a shared commitment to national interest over narrow advantage. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.