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Aviation to gulp N63 billion in 2024, Minister wants extra N81 billion for Abuja second runway

  • 2023 budget performance put at 40%

The entire budget of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development would gulp N63 billion while the performance of the budget of the Ministry last year was at 40%.

The bulk of the budget is expected to go into critical projects such as the Abuja second runway; upgrade and rehabilitation of the old terminal of Lagos airport which the Minister, Festus Keyamo said were vital projects that need urgent attention.

Keyamo stated this when he met with the 10th Assembly joint committee on Aviation technology on Tuesday for the 2024 Ministry of Aviation budget defence.

Affirming his five focus areas for the industry, the Minister noted that he would strict compliance with safety regulations and continuous upward movement of Nigeria’s rating by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), support the growth and sustenance of local airline businesses whilst holding them to the highest international standards in the    aviation industry;

Others are the improvement of infrastructure in the aviation industry; the development of human capacity within the industry; and optimization of revenue generation for the Federal Government.

Keyamo said an extra N81 billion would be needed for the completion of the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.

 He expressed the danger associated with having only one runway for a capital city like Abuja.

Speaking further, Keyamo appealed to the 10th Assembly joint committee for the procurement of consultancy for the design of a master plan for major airports in Nigeria, stating the need to give more attention to the area of safety with the procurement of equipment.

The minister further informed the committee that the President had graciously approved the purchase of screening machines for the five international airports in Nigeria.

On the issue of airport concession, the Minister said, he had taken into consideration the concerns of the 9th Assembly as regards the non-transparent manner it was conducted but affirmed that concession is the way to go for the five international airports in Nigeria.

He disclosed that he had written a memo to President Bola Tinubu for a quality concession process for the  Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Enugu airports.

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