Nigeria: African Airport Finances Weak at 80% of Sites, ACI Africa Says

NIGERIA · AVIATION

The head of the continent’s airport association says roughly four in five airports struggle with money. No published study backs the figure yet.

African airport finances are the first problem on the table as airport leaders gather in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Ali Tounsi, head of Airports Council International Africa (ACI Africa), says about 80% of the continent’s airports are not efficient financially.

What ACI Africa said in Abuja

Tounsi spoke to journalists in Abuja before the assembly, according to Daily Trust, The Sun Nigeria and Guardian Nigeria. “About 80% of the airports in Africa are not efficient financially,” he said, calling it the industry’s first challenge.

Guardian Nigeria reported that he also said most of the big airports are efficient. He did not name the airports that fall inside the 80%.

He said the problem is wider than money. The challenge is “not about infrastructure only” and “not about money only,” he told reporters.

He listed digitalisation, environment, skills and people as the other big challenges. The Sun Nigeria reported that the talks will also cover training the next generation of aviation professionals.

ACI Africa is the regional arm of Airports Council International, the global trade body for airport operators. It speaks for airports, not for airlines or governments.

The assembly: dates, theme and turnout

The full name of the event is the 35th ACI Africa Annual General Assembly, Regional Conference and Exhibition. It also includes the body’s 76th board and committee meetings.

The meeting runs from Saturday 19 September to Friday 25 September 2026. Its theme is “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience.”

Tounsi said more than 500 participants and over 40 speakers, sponsors and exhibitors are expected. Organisers first planned for 350 to 400 delegates, so logistics may be tight.

Nigeria is hosting the event for the third time, after Lagos in 2010 and 2017. Tounsi called Nigeria one of Africa’s biggest aviation markets.

Why African airport finances are hard to fix

An airport earns money in two main ways. Aeronautical income comes from landing fees and passenger charges; commercial income comes from shops, parking, advertising, property and cargo.

Small airports can struggle to cover fixed costs such as runways, security and staff with few passengers. Large hubs spread those costs over far more travellers.

Tounsi did not say how ACI Africa measured efficiency. It is not clear whether the 80% refers to profit, cost recovery or cash flow.

Olubunmi Kuku, managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), was also at the briefing. She said Nigerian airports are modernising but are “still sort of playing catch up” with other markets.

Kuku said the conference is a chance to learn about upgraded technology and service systems. FAAN has set up dedicated desks at the Lagos and Abuja international airports to help visiting delegates.

A big test case: Ethiopia’s Bishoftu airport

Ethiopia’s planned Bishoftu International Airport shows the scale of money new hubs need. In August 2025, the African Development Bank (AfDB) signed a mandate letter with Ethiopian Airlines to lead its financing.

The AfDB said the project costs US$10 billion and that it would help raise nearly US$8 billion. It offered US$500 million of its own, subject to board approval.

Capital Ethiopia reported in August 2026 that lenders aim to finalise the funding by March 2027. So the financing is not yet complete.

The AfDB says the airport should open with capacity for 60 million passengers a year, later rising to 110 million. Phase one is due for completion in November 2029.

What it means for expats and investors

For people living in Africa, airport money problems show up in daily travel. Weak airports can mean fewer direct routes, older terminals and higher charges added to tickets.

For investors, the estimate points to a large pipeline of airports that may seek private capital, management contracts or retail partners. It also shows that returns depend heavily on passenger numbers.

Currency adds another layer. Many costs are paid in local money, while debt and some charges are set in US dollars.

At 18 September 2026 rates, the naira trades at about 1,330 to the dollar. When a local currency weakens, dollar debts become harder for airports to carry.

Readers in Latin America may recognise the same pattern. Regional airports everywhere must balance traffic, fees and the cost of new investment.

What is still not known

ACI Africa has not published a report or dataset behind the 80% figure. It is not known which airports were counted or how efficiency was defined.

It is also not known whether the assembly will produce any concrete plan. ACI Africa is an industry association, not a regulator, so reforms rest with governments and operators.

The briefing gave no timeline for publishing a follow-up study. Nor did it say whether ACI Africa will set targets for its member airports.

More: Nigeria news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “not efficient financially” mean for an airport?

ACI Africa has not defined it. In general, it means an airport does not earn enough to cover its costs without outside support.

Is the 80% figure an official statistic?

No. It is an estimate given by ACI Africa’s secretary-general at a press briefing. No supporting study has been published.

Will the Abuja assembly produce binding decisions?

Unlikely. The assembly is a conference for sharing ideas. Any real change must come from national governments or airport operators.

Sources: ACI Africa briefing as reported by Daily Trust, The Sun Nigeria and Guardian Nigeria, September 2026; African Development Bank press release, August 2025; Capital Ethiopia.

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