The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had said that the completion of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, runway is timely.

He said that it has paved the way for the re-opening of the facility after a six-week closure, demonstrating the federal government’s ability to rise to the occasion, irrespective of how daunting the challenge may be.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed who stated this in a statement issued from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia described as a “remarkable achievement’ the federal government’s on-time completion of the reconstruction of the runway.

“The clock-work precision with which everything concerning the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the temporary relocation to the Kaduna Airport was handled by the relevant ministries and the security agencies are indications that Nigeria can tackle any challenge.

“The rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna road by the ministry of power, works and housing, the provision of non-invasive but effective security along the highway by the security agencies and the perfect handling by the ministry of transportation, of the massive logistics involved in ensuring that the Kaduna Airport was able to handle such a large number of flights, all showed that Nigerians have what it takes to make the country a proud member of the comity of nations.

“It is to the credit of the security agencies and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) that passengers travelling along the ever-busy Abuja-Kaduna highway were largely kept safe while the closure of the Abuja Airport lasted. There was no known security scare while accidents on the road were kept at the barest minimum, despite the increased vehicular traffic.

“Indeed, the closure of the Abuja Airport runway and the logistic nightmare it triggered must rank among the most intimidating challenges faced by this administration.

Mohammed expressed appreciation to Nigerians for enduring the inconveniences that came with the relocation of Abuja flights to Kaduna, the Ethiopian Airline that operated its scheduled Abuja flights to Kaduna when other international carriers turned their back, and Julius Berger that worked day and night to deliver the project before schedule.