The minister of state for aviation, Hadi Sirika announced on Friday that the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu will be shut down due to what he called security reasons.
Mr. Sirika made this known on Friday at the stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, listing the airport’s security challenges to include bad runway, proximity to a market and the wrong location of the state’s radio mast.
According to him, the challenges endanger lives.
The minister urged the Enugu state government to remove the market and radio masts.
The minister further disclosed that his ministry has contracted Julius Berger to renovate Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos at the project cost of N14bn.
The Lagos airport was built to handle N200,000 passengers but today it is handling eight million, he said.
“So it must collapse; Julius Berger will help give it the new look it requires.
“The airport generates most of the income, so it is only right we give it facelift it requires.”
Mr. Sirika added that the new Lagos airport terminal will be completed by the end of the year.
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