FG moves to overhaul dilapidated Abuja airport run-way

The Minister of State Avia­tion, Senator Hadi Sirik­ka has disclosed plans by the Federal Government to reha­bilitate the dilapidated run-way at the Nnamdi Awikwe Interna­tional Airport, Abuja.

The Minister who disclosed this while inspecting the run-way said the run-way which was constructed in 1982 was de­signed to last only 20 years, but unfortunately in the last 14 years no particular repairs has being done, leading to the failure of most part of the run-way.

Sirika disclosed that hither to the interim repairs carried out as a short term solution, the length of the runway had to be reduced from 3.62 to 3.2, which meant that certain air planes that re­quired longer runways could not land in Abuja.

He said: “FAAN respond­ed and portions of the runway have been repaired but this can­not solve the long term prob­lem. The federal government approved immediate funds for immediate repair to be carried out. We have been to the Bureau of Public Enterprise to short cir­cuit the process and we have in­vited local contractors to bid for the repairs”

He listed some of the con­tractors to include CCECC, Ju­lius Berger, Dantata and Sawoe, CRCC and Reynolds to restore the runway to a good degree.

Senator Sirika however de­clined to put a figure on the cost of the contract, stating that dis­cussions was still ongoing with the Ministry of Finance and “the contractors would also have to come up with their own quota­tion before we can say how much it will cost”.

The Minister pointed out that in the face of dwindling revenue and increasing social challenges requiring government attention, it was impossible for government to take care of the airport, hence the move by the government to concession all the federal airport, starting with, Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano airports through Private Public Partner­ship (PPA).