FG to overhaul Abuja run-way

The Federal Government on Wednesday said it plans to carry out a comprehensive rehabilitation of the dilapidated portion of the run-way of the Nnamdi Aziikiwe International Airport, Abuja as well a major reconstruction in the near future.

It also said as a result of dwindling revenue and increasing social challenges requiring its attention it was impossible for for the government alone to take care of the airports.

Due to dwindling revenue and increasing social challenges requiring government attention, government has resolved to concession all the federal airports, starting with Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcort and Kano airports, said Hadi Siriki, minister of state aviation when he run-way in Abuja.

He explained that the Abuja airport run-way which was constructed in 1982 was designed to last only for 20 years saying it was regrettable that in the last 14 years no particular repairs has been done, leading to the dilapidation in some parts of the run-way.

According to the minister, government had to shut down usage of the affected portions of the runway in order to avert disaster, a development that made it impossible for some aircraft to land at the airport during the period.
Sirika disclosed that because of the ongoing repairs, it was impossible for certain air planes that required longer runways to land in Abuja, saying that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) responded and the repairs was carried out.

“The Federal government responded and money was approved for the repairs of portions of the runway. However, this cannot solve the problem there is still need for the rehabilitation of the runway.  We have being to the Bureau of Public Enterprise to short circuit the process and we have invited local contractors to bid for the repairs”, the minister stated.

He listed some of the contractors to include CECC, Julius Berger, Dantata and Sawoe, CRCC and Reynolds to restore the runway to a degree.

He however declined to mention the figure of the contract, stating that discussions were still ongoing with the ministry of finance adding that the contractors would also have to come up with their own quotation.

He said the airports would be concessioned through Public Private Partnership and due process would be followed, disclosing that they were in the process of getting a transaction adviser to guide the process.
Siriki maintained that despite arguments about government’s plans to concession airports across the country, there was no going back on the idea.