The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating concession agreements in Nigeria’s air and seaport sectors has granted government agencies and private operators an additional seven days to submit documents covering operations from 2006 to 2025.
The extension was announced on Friday in Abuja by the committee chairman, Kolawole Akinlayo, during a public hearing attended by regulators and concessionaires.
Agencies present included the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
Major operators such as Dangote Group, Julius Berger, Joseph Dam, West Africa Container Terminal, Tincan Terminal, ECM Terminal, Ibeto Terminal and Apm Terminals were also represented.
The panel had earlier set a 72-hour deadline for submissions but agreed to shift it to the close of business next Friday following appeals from stakeholders.
Akinlayo said the extension was granted in good faith and urged affected parties to comply promptly. He noted that the committee already possesses extensive records from relevant agencies for the period under review but requires corresponding documentation from concessionaires to ensure fairness and accuracy.
“We have data from 2006 to 2025. What we need now is your submission to compare with what has been provided by the agencies. We cannot rely on one-sided information,” he said.
He warned that organisations that fail to meet the new deadline risk having decisions taken based on available records, with possible referrals to appropriate authorities for further action.
The chairman also directed chief executives and heads of the affected agencies to appear before the committee after the ultimatum expires to clarify discrepancies and defend their records. He stressed that the investigation is part of the legislature’s constitutional oversight duty and not a witch-hunt.
“This exercise is in the national interest. It also gives you the opportunity to clarify your position,” he added.
Deputy Chairman, Harrison Anozie, said the probe would be evidence-based and guided strictly by the terms of the concession agreements. According to him, operators must back their claims with documentary proof.
“No one was compelled to enter into these agreements. You signed them and committed to specific obligations. Where you have fulfilled them, you will be commended. Where you have not, the facts will speak,” he said.
The committee disclosed that a standard reporting template had been attached to its correspondence to ensure uniform submissions. The substantive phase of the hearing, it said, will commence after all documents are received and analysed alongside industry data already in its possession.
Nigeria began concessioning major port terminals in 2006 as part of reforms aimed at modernising the maritime sector, easing congestion and boosting efficiency. Under the arrangement, private firms were granted long-term leases to manage terminals and invest in infrastructure, while the Federal Government retained ownership through the Nigerian Ports Authority.
Similar public-private partnership models have been adopted in parts of the aviation sector, particularly in terminal management and infrastructure development.
Nearly two decades after the port concession programme began, concerns have surfaced over revenue remittances, compliance with investment obligations and adherence to performance benchmarks in the contracts.
Against this backdrop, the House constituted the ad-hoc committee to conduct a comprehensive review of concession agreements from 2006 to 2025. Lawmakers say the probe aims to assess financial returns to government, evaluate infrastructure upgrades by operators and determine whether contractual terms have been fully honoured.
The committee maintained that the review is intended to ensure transparency, accountability and value for money in public-private partnerships involving critical national infrastructure.
