Traffic: FG to begin construction of second runway at Abuja airport

Five years after it was stopped from being constructed over alleged inflation of cost and other issues, the Federal Government may have resumed discussions on the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

In 2010, the original contract was valued at N64 billion ($425m) and awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria plc, but was terminated by the government, insisting that fresh bids would be advertised.

In the same year, lawmakers had criticised the deal with Julius Berger for a 4.6-kilometre (2.9-mile) runway as exorbitant, saying a full airport, including a 3.8-kilometre runway and terminal building was built in Ethiopia at the cost of $130 million.

Meanwhile, the plan to begin the work was disclosed by Saleh Dunoma, managing director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), at the weekend, saying efforts were on to kick start a second runway at the airport.

According to him, “a second runway is very important because it is key to our operations.”

He said due to increase in passenger and airline movement at the airport, the construction of a second runway would further prevent the deterioration of the existing runway.

He envisioned that given the present rate of growth in the industry, the existing runway might not effectively sustain the traffic.

He said further that a committee had been set up between the authority and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to determine what the runway would look like in terms of the facilities that should be included in its design.

Dunoma said also that a survey to determine the location of the second runway at the airport had been carried out so that the new facilities to be provided would work smoothly with the existing facility.