The Federal Government has promised that the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, which was closed down last August for rehabilitation work will be reopened for use before Easter 2020.
Hadi Sirika, the minister of Aviation, gave the commitment after an inspection visit to the airport on Thursday.
Sirika in a statement sent through James Odaudu Director, Public Affairs in the ministry, said the government recognised the importance of the airport to the whole of the South East region, and the hardship occasioned by its closure. He insisted that it was done in the interest of safety and comfort of air travelers from the region.
On the reported shortage of some materials needed by the contractor, the Minister assured that the problem was being addressed, and would therefore not be an impediment to the completion of the project.
While commending the handlers of the project, Sirika promised that work on the new terminal building at the airport would soon resume in earnest, given the budgetary provision for it in the 2020 budget.
Sirika said that the present administration met the terminal project at about 20% but had taken it to about 60% completion stage.
The Minister was joined on the inspection visit by representatives of the Enugu state government and the South East governors’ forum, officials of the Ministry of Aviation, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and consultants to the project.
