Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, has projected that an additional N81 billion will be needed to complete the second runway project at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The minister stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the ministry’s 2024 budget defence before the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Aviation.
The minister had proposed N63 billion as 2024 budget for the entire ministry and its agencies.
The minister said that critical projects such as Abuja Aiport’s second runway, and the upgrade and rehabilitation of the old terminal of Lagos Airport were vital projects that needed urgent attention.
He expressed the danger associated with having only one runway for a capital city like Abuja.
Speaking further, Keyamo appealed to the 10th National Assembly Joint Committee for the procurement of consultancy for the design of a master plan for major airports in Nigeria, stating the need to give more attention to the area of safety with the procurement of equipment.
The minister further informed the committee that Mr. President had graciously approved the purchase of screening machines for the five international airports in Nigeria.
On the issue of airport concession, the Minister said he has taken into consideration the concerns of the 9th National Assembly as regards the non-transparent manner it was conducted but affirmed that concession was the way to go for the five international airports.
He informed the committee that he had written a memo to Mr. President for a quality concession process for the Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Enugu Airports.
It would be recalls that procurement of a second runway for the Abuja Airport has lingered for over two decades and the issue dated back to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo era.
Former President Muhammedu Buhari-led government concluded work on the design and initially budgeted N72 billion for the construction of the 2nd runway, which would be the longest in the world when completed.
The absence of a second runway for the Abuja Airport, the capital city of Nigeria, is now viewed as a safety issue.
LEADERSHIP recalls that in 2016, the airport was shut down for six weeks for the repairs of the existing runway, and flight were diverted to Kaduna Airport in the neighbouring Kaduna State.