Victor EzejaMinister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has blamed the poor condition of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu runway, on the poor job done by the previous contractor that handled rehabilitation work.
Keyamo apologised to Nigerians over the sudden decision to close the airport for an emergency repair of the runway.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPrime Business Africa reports that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on Thursday, 18 April, announced a temporary closure of the Enugu airport for two weeks from 22 April to 6 May 2025, to enable them to conduct comprehensive repair of the runway.
FAAN in a statement signed by Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah, said there is a sudden significant damage of a critical section of the runway, requiring closure for major rehabilitation.
“There is a sudden and significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway. Hence, emergency repairs will be conducted on that portion of the runway from April 22nd to May 6th, 2025,” FAAN stated.
“In compliance with Nigerian civil aviation regulations, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has, therefore, closed the runway during this period.
“As part of FAAN’s commitment to passenger safety and the modernisation of airport facilities, the runway will not be open for landings or takeoffs during the rehabilitation period.”
The agency said all flights to the airport will be diverted to nearby airports within the closure period.
Reacting to that, Keyamo, in a statement via his X handle on Saturday, recalled that the same development led to the closure of the Enugu airport runway in August 2019 for one year and the contract for the total rehabilitation was awarded to a contractor.
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He further stated that upon assumption of office in 2023, he personally visited the airport for inspection of the runway when he discovered that the work was not properly done, leading to the rupture of asphalt and potholes on different sections. This, he said, puts the lives of air passengers at risk as aircraft make use of the facility for landing and takeoff.
“Unfortunately, when we came into office, we discovered that the waterlogged part of the runway was not properly constructed to take care of the problem, leading to constant cracks and potholes on the runway. These obviously put the lives of the travelling public at great risk,” Keyamo stated.
“We have been carrying out constant palliative works on it, but the problem has not abated, and the cracks on the runway are becoming craters.
“I personally visited the airport some months after assuming office and expressed my total displeasure with the work done by the contractor.
“In the meantime, scheduled flight operations to Enugu will be diverted to other neighbouring airports.”
The minister assured that they would work tirelessly to meet the timeline in order to mitigate the inconvenience the closure will cause to the travelling public.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
