COVID-19: Open one airport in each geo-political Zone now - House of Rep

The Chairman, House of representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji has prevailed on the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to consider partial opening of the airports to unlock the economy.

As the Ministry of Aviation and its relevant agencies are planning a gradual return to full flight operations in the country, Nnaji enjoined the Federal government to ensure that at least one airport is reopened immediately in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country for that purpose.

The committee chairman who stressed that the nation’s economy need to be immediately unlocked further added that in order to curtail the post economic impacts of the corona virus, a guided and gradual opening of the air transport sector was desirable to refloat the economy.

He suggested that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) come up with a well designed procedure and standard operational procedure, (SOP) in line with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) established guidelines on safety.

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He observed that opening of an airport for partial flight operations in each of the political zones of the country will give all zones a sense of belonging and ensure equity and fairness.

Nnaji, who represents Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, advised that the appropriate Covid-19 disinfecting, testing and sanitizing equipment be installed in each airport in the country to enable government fight the spread of the virus and restore Passenger confidence.

Nnaji noted that air transport remained the stimulating agent to the economy and therefore could not continue to remain in comatose any more.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.