Notice: Abuja Airport To Be Shut In February For Six Weeks

Source: thewillnigeria.com

BEVERLY HILLS, December 20, (THEWILL) – The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has disclosed that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja will be closed between February and March next year,

Sirika, speaking with reporters in Abuja, explained that the closure will enable a construction company, Julius Berger Plc, carry out re-construction work on the badly damaged airport runway.

He revealed that the runway of the airport will undergo repairs for six months but will be shut for six weeks between February and March, when the mid-section of the runway is being reconstructed.

According to Sirika, President Muhamadu Buhari had approved the reconstruction work process through the emergency procurement procedure for work to begin because of the centrality, economy and the importance of Abuja to the country's general administration.

He admitted that government cannot afford to close down the Abuja airport for a long time revealing that skeletal repairs have actually been ongoing at the runway in the last three months.

“Government has accepted the design done by the contractor and the runway will last for more than 10 years on completion early next year,” he said.

“On the six weeks closure of the airport to passenger traffic, Abuja bound passengers from any part of the world will use Kaduna airport as alternative as a robust arrangement has been finalised with Kaduna State to convey the passengers to Abuja.

“Talk is ongoing with oil marketers, the Ministry of Petroleum and Central Bank of Nigeria to resolve the crisis. Very soon, the country will be out of this, as we cannot be relying on Ghana for aviation fuel.”

Story by Oputah David