The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has begun collecting revenue from Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two following the settlement of a 20-year dispute with Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the resolution in Abuja on Tuesday after the Federal Executive Council under President Bola Tinubu approved the settlement framework on 30 April 2026. FAAN had earned no revenue from MMA2 during the entire dispute period, according to Keyamo's statement.
The original concession agreement dated 24 April 2003 was signed between the Federal Government, Bi-Courtney Limited and Stabilini Visinoni Limited for the design, construction, operation and eventual transfer of the domestic terminal. The initial 12-year term commenced on 7 May 2007 but was later extended to 36 years. The dispute centred on disagreements over financial claims and contractual obligations, triggering multiple court cases across successive administrations. Bi-Courtney claimed it had been denied promised benefits, while FAAN asserted its own financial entitlements and responsibility for protecting public airport assets. The conflict also involved the General Aviation Terminal, known as MMA1, and financial claims tied to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria.
Under the new agreement, the General Aviation Terminal will remain Federal Government property and continue to be operated by FAAN, resolving a Supreme Court ruling that had previously affirmed it should be handed to Bi-Courtney. In compensation, the Federal Government allowed Bi-Courtney to expand its apron and move regional African flights to MMA2, subject to terminal capacity limits. The settlement also covers the concession for a four-star hotel and conference centre near the airport, structures that have stood abandoned for nearly 20 years.
Both parties have agreed to waive outstanding claims. Bi-Courtney will waive all unsettled claims against the government, whether financial or otherwise, from before the agreement's execution. FAAN and the Federal Government have reciprocally waived historical claims against the concessionaire, including accumulated concession fees and specified ancillary payments predating the settlement. Keyamo described the resolution as historic for Nigeria's aviation sector, achieved through sustained engagement and difficult negotiations that allow both parties to move beyond years of litigation and pursue revised contractual obligations.
For savers and investors in Nigeria, the resolution means FAAN can now generate revenue from a major airport asset that has been non-productive for two decades, potentially improving the financial position of the state-owned authority and airport infrastructure investment capacity.