Buhari Directs Speedy Concession Of Newly Commissioned Lagos Airport Terminal, Others
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday inaugurated the new ultramodern terminal of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) directing the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika to fast-track the concession of the airports.
The president who inaugurated the terminal with the capacity to accommodate 14m passengers said, “With the delivery of this project, a new era of safety, security and comfort has been ushered into the Nigerian aviation industry and I am persuaded that it will get better with the passage of time.”
The newly commissioned terminal is one of the four airport terminals funded by the China Export and Import Bank and constructed by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC).
The ceremony also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Lagos State government and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for the development of the-Airport Alimosho By-Pass project, which was designed to end traffic gridlock on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and ease traffic to the Lagos airport.
Buhari said the investment in air, rail, and road infrastructure reflects the commitment of the administration to the development of world-class infrastructure across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
He recalled that the airport terminal development projects were at 11% completion when his administration took over in 2015.
According to him, the new terminal will increase airport operations and management services to about 14 million passengers per annum, with the attendant positive multiplier effects, by creating about 3,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities for our youths, increased inflow of Foreign Direct Investments and exponential growth in the Gross Domestic Product.
He said, “Despite obvious limitations in terms of availability of resources, our investments in inter-state rail connectivity, road networks, agriculture, power, and telecommunications, just to mention a few, have been unprecedented.
“Bearing in mind the importance of airport infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth, Foreign Direct Investment and development globally, this administration decided to prioritize the completion and delivery of five brand new international terminals, which were at 11% completion level when we came into power in 2015. Read more
President Buhari Seeks Special Funding for Second Runway of Abuja Airport
Buhari tasked the Minister of Aviation to fast-track the airport concession programme.
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Ministry of Finance to seek special funding for a 12,000 hectares second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
This was disclosed in a statement by the media aide to the Presidency, Garba Shehu on Wednesday morning after the inauguration of the new terminal building of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
He added that the completion and delivery of five brand new international airport terminals since 2015, which were at an 11% completion level then, aligns perfectly with the Aviation Roadmap.
The Presidency revealed that the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning was directed to look for special funding for the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The statement added that the Ministry should “conclude the documentation of the approved 12,000 hectares of land to accommodate the runway and other developmental projects. Further, the President tasked the Minister of Aviation to fast-track the airport concession program, to boost aviation practice in the country and make the aviation industry reflect global standards.”
Buhari noted that the “completion and delivery of five brand new international airport terminals since 2015, which were at 11% completion level then, aligns perfectly with the Aviation Roadmap, developed in 2016, for the purposes of establishing critical infrastructure including a National Carrier as well as maintenance, repairs and overhaul center, and improved Airports Terminals through concession.”
Describing his administration’s investments in inter-state rail connectivity, road networks, agriculture, power, and telecommunications, despite limitations in resources, as unprecedented, he noted that robust initiatives have been complemented with specific fiscal policies to drive aviation infrastructure renaissance.
‘‘These include the designation of 4 airports, namely Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt as Free Trade Zones, in which customs duty is not applicable; removal of VAT on all forms of shared transportation, including air transportation; and exemption of commercial aircraft and spare parts from VAT payment.
‘‘Similar projects at both the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and Port Harcourt International Airport were completed and commissioned by this administration and our people have since been benefiting from the positive,” he said. Read more
Finally, Nigeria Air To Commence Operations In July
Lagos – There are strong indications that the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air, would commence operations in July, a source close to the project told Daily Independent.
It was also gathered that the first out of the three wet-leased aircraft for the airline may arrive in Nigeria in June, while its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), which would enable it to commence as a scheduled operator from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) may be granted in or before June.
An investigation revealed that the new airline, which had suffered numerous postponements, would eventually take to the sky on July 1, 2022, rather than April 2022 earlier scheduled for its takeoff by Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation.
A source further confided in Daily Independent that the airline, which was originally scheduled to commence operations in December 2018, could not start as planned due to the preparation towards the 2019 general elections, while the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and its extension to 2021 further scuttled the commencement date.
However, it was learned that the transaction team for the project had since been on the ground in Nigeria working towards its emergence while ensuring the issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP) for the establishment of the national carrier, which was advertised in national dailies and foreign media. Daily Independent further gathered that about 10 Nigerian experts, including its interim Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO), among others, had been recruited for the takeoff of the airline, while Abuja has been chosen as its operational control center (OCC) and the headquarters.
Besides, it was learned that the government has chosen May 10, 2022, as the last day of the submission of bids, while several foreign airlines and investors had already bided to be part of the national carrier project.
Daily Independent gathered that the Federal Government still retained its 5 percent stake in the airline and the other 95 percent is reserved for consortiums of local and foreign investors. Read more
Buhari: Airport Terminal Will Birth New Dawn in Air Travel
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday described the newly inaugurated terminal at the Lagos International Airport as a critical transport infrastructure that will birth new dawn in air travel.
Describing the project as the harvest of a good partnership between Nigeria and China, Buhari said it would facilitate seamless operations for passengers who are accessing the international corridor for business and other facilities, saying Nigeria will continue to leverage the global partnership to enhance its transportation infrastructure as part of its road map to develop the aviation industry.
Riding on the wings of other air transport facilities embarked upon by the administration, Buhari said the completion and inauguration of the new international airport terminal will fast track the push for the concession of airports the government has put on the burner.
Buhari praised the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for their doggedness in driving the project to fruition, assuring that the administration would continue its involvement in scaling up initiatives that would drive the development of the air transport industry.
“This event is an eloquent testimony to the strong commitment of our administration to the development of world-class infrastructure across all sectors of the economy, he said, adding: “Bearing in mind the importance of airport infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth, Foreign Direct Investment and development globally, this administration decided to prioritize the completion and delivery of five brand new international terminals, which were at 11 percent completion level when we came into power in 2015.
“This aligns perfectly with our Aviation Roadmap, which was developed in 2016.
“We have also complemented these robust initiatives with specific fiscal policies to drive aviation infrastructure renaissance. Read more
Sources: Daily Trust; Daily Independent; The Nation Online; Nairametrics