All appears to be put in place for the reopening of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja,

The airport had been temporarily shut down on 9th of March, 2017, for six weeks of runway rehabilitation exercise.

The runway has been in use since the airport was built in 1982, and expired about 14 years ago.

After much debates, the rehabilitation exercise was awarded for the sum of N5.8 million and work began on the runway.

As at the 30th of March 2017, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika had said the airport was 57.5%% ready.

He tweeted:

While inspecting the final lap of work on the runway on Monday, The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, confirmed that the airport is 96% ready and assured everyone that the airport will be reopened on the 19th of April, 2017.

“This is runway 22 where the work terminates. Remember work started from the other end which is runway 04. You can see that we have finished asphalting and we are at 96 percent completion.” He said.

“The marking of the runway and lighting are going on simultaneously. This is three to four days work and we still have about eight days to go. We are happy and we are on course.” He added.

The minister also talked about a new technology used for the runway which will not retain rain water and another, where glass glide is put in the process of constructing the runway to reinforce it, to give it extra strength and prevent cracks.

“This is the first time any Nigerian runway is being treated with such material and that material is a 50 tonner.” He said.

At the moment, all Abuja-bound traffic is diverted to the recently upgraded Kaduna International Airport (KIA).

A lot of activities have also resumed ahead of next Wednesday reopening of the airport.

Local and foreign airlines have reopened sales and bookings on the Abuja route. Local airlines are already making bookings on the Lagos-Abuja, Sokoto-Abuja-Lagos, Abuja-Kaduna, Port Harcourt-Abuja amongst others for next week flights.

Kingsley Nwokoma, President of foreign airlines association in Nigeria, told reporters that foreign airlines have opened booking for tickets and cargo flights to Abuja.

“After the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Sirika staked his job and seconded by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Žsome foreign airlines have started selling tickets to Abuja.”

“Everyone believes that the ministers will keep to their words. Even cargo booking has started for Abuja airport. That one is easier because it is not as sensitive as passenger service. Let us see how it plays.” He said.

“In a civilised country, if they give you a date people will work with that date. But since the minister has put his job on the line, we are confident that flights will start in Abuja after next week. He added.

SOURCE: http://veragist.com/news/abuja-airport-flights-begin-officially-next-week-nnamdi-azikiwe/

cc: lalasticlala

The minister deserves commendations.

thesicilian:
The minister deserves commendations.

He sure does

cc: DisGuy
cc: justwise

Correct informe. Thanks

You're welcome

cc: seun mynd44

I hope the contractors will not disappoint him and cost him his ministerial seat.

Good news,even though I never enter flight b4,my papa no dey Government.

If only this government can keep all their promise like this.

TGIF

ok

Enemies of state at the moment,

deserves commendation if the job done will be durable.

We must commend the Government on this, closing the airport even with all the brouhaha , completing on schedule etc. I hope the other Airports facilities were upgraded too, not just the runway , Because Nigerian Airports and escalators not working are like 5 and 6. We really need to grow out from this low level mentality. Kudos to the government. At least we are moving gradually. For your website design, Blog design , ecommerce websites, Visit www.leksmediaconcept.com or call 08173091370

Dem no mention Amaechi name?
Why?

An international airport(Nigeria's number one) runway expired 15 years ago and need just #5million for rehabilitation and PDP couldn't do it in their 16 years of rule?Im very sure it would have been awarded like nothing less than 50 timex for as outrageous as #5 billion naira and yet not completed just like kaduna-abuja railway project.No matter what children of hate would say Nigerians took the best decision in 2015.#corruption stinks.

Kudos to the men at work

sukafia:
Correct informe. Thanks

like you truly read it

fergie001:
Good news,even though I never enter flight b4,my papa no dey Government.

You should rewrite that historical context by yourself.
Make sure you fly and take your dad around the world too!
Success is a habit and not a giving.
Best of luck on this challenge! Don't give in to stereotypes

jeffizy:
They achieve the near impossible if it comes to matters that affects them and their fellow elites.
Wondering if the pace of work could be deployed to other things like Ibadan-ilorin express way, Lagos -ibadan express way, 2nd niger bridge, enforcing the pay as you watch module for DSTV, deployment of prepaid power metres to all houses in Nigeria.
Just wondering!

Exactly what I was about to say.

Waterpot

Offcourse they will finish it fast because it affects them.

thesicilian:
The minister deserves commendations.

Why though? Because he completes his task? I mean thats what he is there for.

N5.8 million? I don't understand.

jeffizy:

You should rewrite that historical context.
Make sure you fly and take your dad around the world too!
Success is a habit and not a giving.
Best of luck on this challenge!

it is not a challenge my dear.I will do my best to achieve success for sure but not to fly around the world,but to put smiles on the faces of people around me.
Life is not a competition,so I move at my pace,Sir.
Happy Easter Sir

Let's pretend it's true.

The Boko Haram commanders were chatting and laughing as they were being arraigned before an Abuja court recently...

From the tone....get the feeling that it is more important that the airport open on the set date than if it would really be safe to do so.

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The sorry state of Buhari international airport Ondo is the worst. They need to fix it

uunna well done