Buhari renegotiates $500 million terminal project with China
- FG acquires multi-billion safety critical tools for Enugu airport
- FAAN, NCAA inspect aerodrome
The Federal Government has said the delay in delivering the $500 million airport terminal scattered across the country was as a result of funding problem.
This is coming as President Buhari negotiates the projects with the Chinese government which facilitated the loan deal for the terminals.
Director, Engineering Services for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Salihu Daura at the inspection of facilities at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Lagos said that the issue was part of President Muhammed Buhari’s visit to China for the 7thSummit of the forum on China-Africa Corporation (FOCAC2018).
Daura disclosed that the completion of the new terminals had to do with funding, stressing that there were a lot of issues that were missed out in the design stage when it became apparent at the implementation that it was necessary.
“We have already gotten approval from the President that and it is one of the issues being discussed in China in Mr President’s trip to China, it is still going to be funded by same people. We have articulated all the additional works to be done at the five terminals the moment they have closed the deal, we are ready to go.
He noted that the Enugu airport would come alive once night landing facilities are installed at the airport, leading to full utilisation of the aerodrome.
His words, “Utilisation of airport is directly correlated with the operating hours of the airport and that is why are very concerned for not having all the aids installed in place at this airport. Once that is done, it will improve operating hours which will increase capacity”.
“Without the lighting system, the airport be made to be more like a day light operation, therefore, closing around 6 or 7 pm with air field lightening in place, it can be extended till maybe midnight. This will definitely increase activities at the airport”.
The $500 million terminal buildings in Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Kano Nigeria were said to have stalled in their 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.
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.
This is coming as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and FAAN inspected facilities at the airport with a view to providing critical safety equipment for the aerodrome.
Speaking to journalists, Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman said navigational facilities had been procured by Federal Government but lamented that they were waiting for the state government to make available land and the removal of some obstacles for the installation of the multi billion naira facilities.
He reiterated that, “we need these visual aids as a complement to the instrument landing system. The runway, based on the prevalent wind of this airport, the approach lighting system will be located along that runway and that is why we are appealing for the state to intervene for us to be able to get space for us to deploy the necessary equipment to make the instrument landing system truly category two, so that approaches and landing can be made even under instrument meteorological condition”.
On Sunday, governors of the South East geopolitical zone held that the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is no longer safe for landing.
Appreciating Federal Government’s earlier intervention on the airport, the governors however drew its attention to the deplorable state of the runway, the runway lights and the tarmac and called on the Minister of State for Aviation to quickly visit the airport for an on-spot assessment and urgent intervention.
They also called on the Federal Government to step up the reactivation of the cargo section of the airport.
Google+