FG budgets N8.3bn for 2nd Abuja runway for 2018

The Federal Government has set aside N8.3 billion for the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA) Abuja in the 2018 appropriation bill, the minister of Budget and National Planing, Udoma Udo Udoma, has said.

Speaking yesterday at the 2018 budget public presentation in Abuja, Udoma said the project is necessary to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing situation of closing down the airport for maintenance in the future.

Early this year, the government closed down the airport for six weeks to enable reconstruction of the only runway of the airport.

The 2nd runway project was first included in the 2017 budget but due to shortage of fund, it was rolled over to 2018.

Other transport projects listed in the 2018 budget are: N162.28 billion counterpart funding for Railway projects including: Lagos-Kano (ongoing), Calabar-Lagos (ongoing), Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Aladja (Warri) (ongoing), Port Harcourt - Maiduguri (New), Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi in Niger Republic (New), Abuja-Itakpe and Aladja (Warri)-Warri Port and Refinery including Warri New Harbour (new) and N2.03 billion Construction of Terminal Building at Enugu Airport.

The Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts recently endorsed the second runway project, during a visit to the airport.

The committee, led by its chairman, Sen. Shehu Sani, gave the endorsement during the inspection of the second runway site yesterday at the Abuja airport during an oversight function.