President, Mohammadu Buhari, on Thursday officially commissioned the new international wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport at Omagwa, the outskirts of Rivers State, in an epoch-making ceremony.
In his speech at the inauguration, President Buhari said the new life injected into the Port Harcourt International terminal would boost the economy of the country and ease transportation difficulties nationally and internationally.
President Buhari stated that Nigeria had an advantageous central location within the sub-region adding that following the desire of the Federal Government to develop into a regional air transportation hub, it must upgrade its facilities to take advantage of its assets.
The President added that the recent decision by the Federal Government to remove Value Added Tax, VAT, from domestic air transportation was in line with global best practices.
He said: “This will make air travel more affordable and subsequently lead to the creation of jobs by the air transport service value chain as well as increase revenues for government.
“Today’s commissioning is an example of Government’s deliberate policy to sustain the development of infrastructure for economic growth in all geo-political zones of the country.
“You will recall that after opening the major airport terminals in the country in the late 70s and early 80s, not much was added to increase the passenger handling capacity of these facilities by successive administrations.
The President continued: “Following the large increase in national population with consequent surge in air passenger traffic, the capacity of the airport terminals became woefully inadequate to cater for the increase in passenger traffic.
“Although, palliative measures were periodically carried out, the facilities were fast giving-in to the effects of wear and tear. It therefore became necessary to take decisive action to ensure our terminals meet minimum international standards for the travelling public.
“The Federal Government responded to a global trend in which aviation became a catalyst for economic growth as a result of massive and speedy movement of persons, goods and services in a safe and secure manner,” he stated.
Speaking also at the occasion, the minister of state for Aviation, Senator Hadi Siriki, said the project along with three others in Lagos, Abuja and Kano was funded through China Exim Bank loan of $500 million with another $100 million counterpart fund from the federal government.
He said that the Port Harcourt Airport being the third busiest in the country was very important for the Nigerian economy as well.
“It served 1,080284 passengers in 2017. The old terminal also being rehabilitated is unable to accommodate a combined requirement of space to handle such volume of passengers,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Rivers state governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike, thanked the Federal Government for commissioning the project at a time when international terminal was in desperate need in the oil-rich region to ease business activities and create opportunities for the influx of foreign investors.
The governor stated: “For doing this today, the people of Rivers state and people of the Niger Delta are happy for seeing this. What you are doing today will boost economy of the state and create employment for people. It would bring investors to this state.
He continued: “Mr. President has directed that the domestic wing of the airport be commissioned in December. I hope my friend (Hadi Sirika) will keep to it so that the people of Rivers and Niger Delta will continue to be happy with President Buhari.
The Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, was conspicuously absent at the commissioning ceremony.
