The federal government through the minister of state for aviation, Hadi Sirika, has revealed that the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu will be shut down due to security reasons.
Okay Nigeria understands that the minister disclosed this move at the stakeholders’ forum in Lagos on Friday.
Sirika said that the security challenges at the airport which include bad runway, proximity to a market and the wrong location of the state’s radio mast.
He noted that the challenges pose a great risk to lives hence the need to shut down the airport adding that the cooperation of state government to remove the market and radio masts.
He said, “The Lagos airport was built to handle N200,000 people but today Lagos airport is handling eight million people. So it must collapse. Julius Berger will help give it the new look it requires,” he said, adding that the airport rehabilitation would cost N14 billion.
“The airport generates most of the income, so it is only right we give it facelift it requires.”
Furthermore, Sirika revealed that the new Lagos airport terminal will be completed by the end of the year so some airport operators will be moved to the new terminal.
