Why $500m, Lagos, Abuja new terminals are delayed

There are indications that the delay in response are attributed to factors such as long
Inability of Nigeria to contribute part of its counterpart funding, coupled with other logistic issues, have been attributed to why the $500 million new airport terminals at the Lagos and Abuja airports have not been completed, Woleshadare.net has learnt.

Nigeria was said to have stalled in its initial plan of completion of the facilities in 18 months, but lack of coordination by the last administration, coupled with delay in Nigeria’s little financial commitment led to delay, according a source who is conversant with the entire project but pleaded that his identity be shielded.

Since 2015, several completion dates had been set for the terminals’ completion for the Lagos and Abuja aerodrome, being the two airports with the biggest passenger traffic.

While the Abuja facility has reached 80 per cent completion stage, that of Lagos is said to be within 75 and 80 per cent stage.
Nigeria and China had, five years ago, signed a $500 million loan pact for the construction of the four new international airport terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Kano.

The 20- year, 2.5 per cent interest loan for the project has a grace period of seven years before payment.
The other three locations for new terminals are Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano. Chinese construction giant, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which is handling the contracts, gave assurance that it would deliver the four new terminals in March 2015.

The project was expected to have been completed a year ago, but Nigeria’s default in paying her own counterpart funding had delayed the project.
The loans reflect the deepening economic ties between oil-rich Nigeria and China, which already is involved in building major roads and railway projects in the country.

Just last week, members of the Joint Aviation Committees of the country’s Senate and House of Representatives, who inspected the airport, expressed satisfaction with the on-going work at the new terminal and assured air travellers that the facility would be ready for use by next year.

Senator Adamu Aliero, who led the team, said: “The ministry is already aware of the power and water challenges and I think that they are doing something about it. Once they bring it to the notice of the legislature, we will do the needful and give them the necessary support, because we need this building to be put to use immediately after completion.

Aliero confirmed that the building is 80 per cent completed and what is left to be done is the finishing and the pieces of equipment to be used are already on ground.

He said: “The project manager also said that the control tower and fire station have to be relocated and that is why they are giving us till next year. If those things are relocated, maybe we will inaugurate it earlier than the end of next year.”

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nkeiru Onyejiocha, at the inspection of aviation facilities with her committee last year, stated that with the snail speed at which the project is going on, she doubted if the contractor would be able deliver the project to the Federal Government in December 2016 as earlier planned, urging the contractor to make haste so as to meet the deadline.

She said: ‘They said they won’t be able to deliver by December but I told them to know that they should understand that we took loan to build this and the Chinese government is not going to wait for us because agreements have been signed.