President Mohammadu Buhari commissioned the new terminal at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja amidst the yet to be paid counterpart funding of $69.3million to the China Exim Bank.
It would be recalled that the federal government had only paid 31.1percent of the $100million counterpart fund for the $500million credit facility provided by the China Exim Bank for the remodeling of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports.
President Buhari while commissioning the new terminal building yesterday in Abuja assured that the federal government would developed Nigeria into the regional hub of air transportation and assumes its leadership in the aviation sub sector in Africa.
He noted that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal is the first airport terminal to be connected to rail transport system in the Country and indeed in the region, providing airport users with choice in the mode of transport to and from the city centre.
Mentioning that government was gradually closing the infrastructural deficit bedeviling our nation, he commended progress being made in both the airports and sea ports on the implementation of the Executive Order on the Ease of Doing Business.
He also tasked Government officials manning the gateways to sustain the momentum and ensure travelers in and out of the country have the best of experience as a necessary complement to the ultra-modern terminal.
The Minister of State Aviation, Hadi Sirika in his remarks noted that the newly commissioned terminal building has capacity to process 15m passengers annually and covers a space of approximately 56,000m2. It also has the following facilities as well as 72 check-in counters, 5 baggage collection carousels, 28 immigration desks at arrival and 16 at departure.
He said other facilities include 8 security screening points, 8 passenger boarding bridges, Walkway to link the FCT metro rail, Additional apron for remote parking of aircraft, Linkway to domestic wing among other facilities that are designed and laid out in accordance with modern requirements for airport operations.
Sirika however called on the President intervene in the payment of counterpart fund owed to the China Exim Bank so that CCECC can complete the second phase of the airport remodelling exercise which include provision of additional facilities that would enhance airport efficiency.
He highlighted them to include, Construction of additional apron, Multi-level car park, Fire station, Additional boarding bridges, Connection between the old and the new terminals, Facility and boarding bridge to accommodate Airbus A380 and the completion of Kano and Lagos terminals.
The Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Saleh Dunoma while speaking to Aviation correspondents said the new terminal would be used for international flights, while the old one would be used for domestic flights.
