By Olusegun Lawrence. The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Thursday justified the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja runway for six weeks.
He told the senate that the runway had since 1996 exceeded its life span. It is to be closed from February to March this year.
According to Sirika, the runway was constructed in 1982 with a life span of 14 years, adding that the repair is coming 21 years late.
Sirika recalled how a tyre of an Air plane busted in the airport and Julius berger had to be called to tow the plane out of runway.
Meanwhile, the Minister has said the quest to concession the maintenance of airport infrastructure and the building of new ones across the country is to maintain high standard and efficiency in the running of airport operations in tandem with global standards.
The minister who disclosed this when he received a delegation from the International Enterprise Singapore led by its Director, Middle East and Africa Group, Ian Lee, said government is strongly committed to providing an enabling environment for investors to thrive in the aviation sector with rules and regulations to make the industry economically attractive.
He added that the government has also made concerted efforts on the improvement of security in the country with the virtual defeat of the Boko Haram insurgents that had terrorized the nation in the immediate past, and also confirmed that the procurement processes for the Concession and the National Carrier had reached advanced stages as government would soon appoint Transaction Advisers.
Sirika also used the visit to explain the rationale behind the decision to temporarily shut down operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for repair works on the airport runway, saying it was purely based on safety considerations.
He also explained that while the whole renovation work would last for six months, the six-week closure would enable the restoration of the runway to a usable state.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Director of the Middle East and Africa Group of International Enterprise Singapore, Ian Lee said they were in the country to establish their interest in building business relationships with Nigeria and Nigerian companies, especially in the Aviation Sector where they have identified the on-going Airport Infrastructure Concession and the proposed National Carrier as areas of high interest.
