By Uche Mbah
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has said that the Federal Government has approved the construction of a second runway for Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja.
The government has proposed building a second runway at the Airport after the current one has deteriorated having lasted for over twenty years. But controversies have dogged the proposal, which is billed to cost taxpayers a whopping N65 billion to build. This is the cost of building two full airports in saner climes. The runway is only 4.6 kilometers long.
The plan has been on since 2015.
It was canceled by the Jonathan administration when there were controversies over the cost but is being resurrected by the current administration.
According to Sirika, the N1.7 billion covers consultancy and design for the runway.
“Today in council, a memo from the Ministry of Aviation was considered; and it is the consultancy services for the construction of second runway here in Abuja. The contract went to a consortium of consultants for the total contract sum of N1.7 billion”, he said.
“This includes 7.5 percent VAT and also the exchange rate for the dollar component of N360 to one dollar. And this is what caused the seeming increase in the last estimated figure”.
According to him, the consultancy is for one year, and the consultant has been procured. He did not, however, name the firm.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport has only one runway. In 2017, the airport was closed down for repairs of the runway for six weeks, during which time Kaduna airport was used. This meant that passengers will arrive at Kaduna and transport themselves by rail and road down to Abuja, a situation that was worsened by the security situation in the country. Kidnappers were laying siege on the roads, and trains became overbooked due to fear of traveling by roads.
