Osinbajo Inspects Abuja Airport, says Repairs 80% Complete

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday inspected the ongoing rehabilitation of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and said the exercise is going according to schedule.

The airport was shut down on March 8 to enable repairs on the runway over a scheduled period of six weeks.

Mr. Osinbajo arrived the presidential air fleet wing of the airport from where he was conducted on a tour of the rehabilitation site by the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Saleh Dunoma.

“I have looked round. What I have seen, and from the information from the contractors, from the consultants, looks as if things are going very well”, he told journalists after the inspection.

“We were told that we are now nearing 80 per cent and we are clearly on schedule.

“We expect to see that this will be completed without any delay whatsoever. We have assurances from the contractors and consultants that we are clearly on schedule”.

The vice president said he had no reservations over the implementation of the project after listening to the contractors, consultants and FAAN officials.

“A lot of work has been done and I heard the contractors were doing shifts for 24 hours. They have taken the job very seriously. We expect that the job will be completed on the 19th (April) as promised”, he added.

Also addressing the journalist at the facility, Mr. Dunoma reiterated that the repairs had reached 80 per cent completion as atFriday.

“The other critical elements of work that we have is number one; asphalt laying, it’s about 73 per cent; traffic lighting installation is about 40 per cent. The next critical item is of course marking which will start on Monday; that one is very critical. Our regulator would have to come and certify what we have done, then we will be ready for the reopening on the 19^th.

“We are seizing this opportunity of it being empty to rehabilitate the entire terminal building, all the facilities that are there – electrical and civil,” Mr. Dunoma stated.

He gave the assurance that the plan to reopen the airport on April 19 would be met.

“We will get it before the 19th. All the works that is going on there will be completed by the 19^th,” he added.

“April 19 remains sacrosanct. You have seen how far we have gone, you have witnessed all the activities that you have seen going on and I want to reassure Nigerians that come 19^th, we will open for traffic”, he said.

Mr. Dunoma, however, said the airport needs a second runway to avoid future inconveniences of closure for repairs.

“We need a second runway; that is it”.