Mar 7, 2017: The federal government has officially announced the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International, Abuja (NAIA). The government also assured Nigerians of security of life and property of all travelers.

The minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed who disclosed this during a world press briefing on March 6 in Abuja said that the airport will be officially shut from operations 12 am on Wednesday, March 8 and would be closed for six weeks for the "rebuilding of the runway."

Addressing the conference, the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the federal government was in talks with other international carriers, especially Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, to urge them to rescind their decisions of shunning Kaduna since its facilities meet international and global best standards.

Sirika further revealed that the NAIA runway reconstruction would gulp well over N5 billion.

"We have calibrated the landing systems in Kaduna. All the open items spotted by international airlines have been closed. We've a mobile control tower in Kaduna. We have a good runway there. The terminal building and Very Important Personality (VIP) lounge are almost ready. We have provided free buses and rail transport for passengers to and from Kaduna. We are good to go with regards to airport logistics," he said.

Sirika also assured that the the federal government has fulfilled its promise to make the Kaduna Airport available and ready for use as an alternative.

He also said that just as the federal government has worked tediously to ensure that the Kaduna-Abuja express way is safe for road users, he assured that other roads across the country is also safe for motorists to ply.

Photo Source: New Telegraph Nigerian Newspaper

Nnamdi Azikiwe InternationalAbujaHadi SirikaNAIAKaduna

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