FEC approves  N92.12 bn for construction of second runway at Abuja International Airport

The Federal Executive Council has authorized a budget of N92.12 billion to build a second runway at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

The council’s decision comes only one day after President Muhammadu Buhari officially opened a new terminal building at Lagos’ Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA).

Senator Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, announced the fund’s approval on Wednesday while briefing State House media at the conclusion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s virtual cabinet meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to him, the approved fund will be spread over a number of works to be carried out at the airport within a period of 12 months.

Asked how the government intends to raise the fund for the project, the minister explained that the administration would use the same pattern it had used to raise the money for other projects across sectors to achieve the current mandate.

He had also directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, to conclude the documentation of the approved 12,000 hectares of land to accommodate the runway and other developmental projects.

At the event in Lagos on Tuesday, the President asked the aviation minister to fast-track the airport concession programme, to boost aviation practice in the country and make the aviation industry reflect global standards.

In his view, the completion and delivery of five brand new international airport terminals since 2015, which were at 11 per cent completion level then, align perfectly with the aviation roadmap developed in 2016 for the purposes of establishing critical infrastructure, including a national carrier as well as maintenance, repairs and overhaul centre, and improved airports terminals through concession.