Fidelia Okafor.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja would be shut down for six weeks in February and March, 2017 for repairs on the runway. This was revealed by the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.

He said that the closure was to allow total re-construction to be carried out on the badly damaged runway by the Julius Berger Company.

He also said that while the runway would still be used during the six months of rehabilitation; the mid section of the runway would be reconstructed.

According to him, the president had approved the reconstruction through the emergency procurement procedure for work to commence; this was due to the centrality, economy and importance of Abuja to the general administration of the country.

He stated that the government could not afford to shut down the airport for a long time as palliative repairs had been ongoing on the runway in the last three months.

Sirika pointed out that Abuja bound passengers from any part of the world would make use of the Kaduna Airport as alternative during the six weeks closure. Also, arrangements have been made to provide buses to convey the passengers from Kaduna to Abuja with the Kaduna state government providing security.

According to him, the repairs would cost the government a huge amount of money but in the long run, the structural repairs would pay off more than the palliative repairs.

On the Bilateral Air Agreement with other countries, Sirika said the government had signed BASA with 18 countries that Nigerians frequently visits and transact business with.