Minister threatens to close down Abuja airport

– Aviation minister, Hadi Sirika decried the state of the aviation sector in Nigeria

– He expressed concern over the state of the Abuja airport runway, saying it was a source of concern for the government

– The minister said the infrastructures at the airports did not meet international standard

– He noted that the government was considering concessioning of the airports

Hadi Sirika, the Minister of State for Aviation has threatened to close down the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

Speaking on Monday, May 16, during the presentation of vision and plan of the aviation sector to stakeholders in Abuja, Sirika said he was tempted to shut down the airport because it was not up to standard, The Nation reports.

Sirika announced government plans to concession the Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano international airports

According to him, he feels sad whenever he talks about the aviation sector in Nigeria.

He said: “The infrastructures at the airports are dilapidated and I was tempted this morning to close down the airport and I will probably do that for sure.”

Sirika showed images of the Abuja airport runway which was characterised by potholes in defence of the planned closure.

He said that the private sector involvement was the way forward as current facilities at the airports did not meet international standard and best practices in the aviation industry.

The minister added that the government is considering concessioning of the airports.

He said the concessioning process will start with the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and the Port Harcourt International Airport.

Sirika added that the government was committed to upgrading the existing facilities at the airports as well as developing new strategy to repositioning the sector.

Recall that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, while giving a breakdown of the 2016 budget and its implementation strategies disclosed that the federal government has concluded plans to go into concession arrangements with private investors to finance rehabilitation works in four of the country’s four major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.