December 16, 2011
By Chinedu Eze
The Federal Government has said that it is targeting complete upgrade and modernization of major airports in the country by 2013 in keeping with its transformation agenda in the aviation industry.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, who presided over the movement of domestic carriers to the international terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja last week in order to revamp the old terminal, which has decayed over the years.
She said that government has started the modernization project on the four major airports in the country located in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt and the work was moving at a fast pace.
Work has been going on at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos which involves the expansion of the terminal, upgrade of facilities and total overhaul of the carousel (conveyor belt) for easy and uninterrupted movement of luggage and cargo.
The Senate President, David Mark who flagged off the domestic flight operations at the international terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport, Abuja, commended the efforts of the Federal Government, remarking that airports are a window to any nation because airports are first port of call of foreigners and it is from such facility that the image of a country is gleaned.
He lamented that airports across the country before now was not befitting to Nigeria as a nation, stressing that the impression of any visitor on arrival at any of the nation’s airports was the determining factor of for the country. “Airport is what you use in judging any nation because the very first impression starts at the airport. But we have lacked standard facilities until now”. Mark declared.
He urged everybody to take seriously, the transformation agenda of the present administration by keying into it and warned that the upgrade effort would come to nothing if the facilities at their airports were not maintained after modernizing them. He decried the poor maintenance culture among Nigerians and advised that the facilities must be kept clean at all times and to be used accordingly when completed.
The Aviation Minister also announced that on going work at the Kano and Kaduna airports would be commissioned by January 2012, while Lagos would be commissioned in February.
According to her, it was the plan of the government to ensure that air travel remained the cheapest, safest and fastest means of transportation and with the attendant comfort in the country.
Also the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), George Uriesi, said that the transformation has started taking place in form of remodeling of the terminal buildings in 11 airports across the country with that of some key airports like, Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt.
According to Uriesi, the re-modeling project was designed to expand the existing infrastructure in the terminals of the airports especially passenger areas.
The FAAN boss named airports where work have commenced to include, Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Kaduna while work will begin soon at the remaining seven airports. He said work at the general aviation terminal (GAT) and international terminal of the Lagos airport would be completed by mid-2012.
Uriesi emphasized that passengers deserved better services at all airports terminals and that when completed, the domestic wings of Abuja and Lagos airports would serve as a reference point for domestic terminals across the country.
He noted that with the transformation programme of President Goodluck Jonathan, aviation stakeholders owe him a lot of gratitude for his effort which would transform the country’s aviation sector.
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