Rehabilitation of Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport 80% ready, says Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed that the ongoing rehabilitation of the 3,600 kilometres of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway has reached 80 per cent completion.

Osinbajo, who stated this yesterday during an inspection of repairs so far carried out at the airport, expressed satisfaction with the level of work, but urged the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to remain constantly vigilant to ensure that the rehabilitation work went as scheduled.

“I have no reservations about the level of work that has been done here. The FAAN managing director tells me that the level of work so far done on the tarmac and other areas is 80 per cent complete.

“He has also given me the assurance that work would be completed on schedule,” he noted. Osinbajo, who was conducted round the tarmac by FAAN Managing Director, Saleh Dunuma, where Julius Berger personnel were seen working, also inspected the domestic wing of the airport and other sites, stressing that the project must be completed on schedule.

Dunuma expressed confident that the airport would be ready for re-opening by April 18, ahead of official dateline. He told The Guardian that FAAN was currently making a case for the construction of a second runway to forestall total shut down of the airport in future.

“That plan is in the drawing board already, although we are yet to get approval for commencement. But we are still working on it,” he said. Dunuma added that the quality assurance consultant of the Federal Government was also on ground to certify that the work done is in line with best practices, adding that it is after the consultant has certified the job done that the airport would be reopen to the public on the scheduled date.