Nigeria: Abuja Airport Runway Ready, Awaiting Certification

By Chris Agabi

The rehabilitation of the failed runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has been completed and awaiting to be certified fit for use by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Checks by our correspondent showed that the asphalting work is completed, the airfield lighting installed, the runway cleaned and the runway markings done with.

The NCAA Director General Capt. Muktar Usman also confirmed on Sunday ýthe runway is 99 percent completed but it will still have to be certified before it is opened to traffic on April 19.

According to the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Engr. Saleh Dunoma, the NCAA is supposed to inspect the runway for certification yesterday as FAAN had earlier written them for the inspection.

“They have to certify that what we have done is in accordance with their standards. If there is any observation as a result of the inspection, we will now make sure we carry out corrections” Engr. Dunoma said.

The airport was closed March 8, 2017 for runway repairs, and traffic diverted to the Kaduna International Airport.

The contract, awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc at N5.8 billion has progressed steadily with the completion level reaching 97 percent according to information obtained from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the owners of the facility.

The work started on the 3.6km runway from runway 04 and ended at runway 22.

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