Huge potholes scarring Abuja airport’s runway are set to add to the frustrations of Nigerians struggling through an economic crisis as repair work is expected to prevent flights from landing in the capital for at least six weeks.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport — Nigeria’s second busiest after Lagos — is to close from March 8 as its sole runway is resurfaced.
The asphalt has ruptured in at least two places — a reflection of the poor performance of successive governments, none of which took up the task of resurfacing the runway after its lifespan ended in 2002. After a rocky landing by one foreign airline last year, international carriers threatened to stop flying to the city until the repairs were made.
But the timing of the airport’s closure is unfortunate for President Muhammadu Buhari, and the symbolism will not be lost on his growing number of detractors.
“It’s a tricky balance, between safety and the economy,” said Keleci Ozuzu, a lawyer, as he waited for his luggage at Lagos’ airport. “Can Nigeria, in recession, withstand this colossal loss [from the airport closure]?”
Since Mr Buhari won March 2015 elections pledging to revive Nigeria’s fortunes and crack down on mismanagement and corruption, Africa’s top oil producer has fallen into its first recession in more than two decades. The economic woes were triggered by the fall in crude prices, but Mr Buhari has drawn increasing criticism for policies that have been blamed for exacerbating the crisis.
The closure of the airport in Abuja, the seat of government, is likely to hamper work in both the public and private sectors. The city lies in the centre of the west African nation, and given the huge difficulties in reaching it once the airport closes, businesses based in Lagos, the commercial capital, say they plan to limit their travel to Abuja. Some civil servants are joking that they might as well stay home, since the pace of government activity is also expected to slow. And foreign residents of Abuja are grumbling because the closure falls over the Easter holiday, when many people travel abroad.
The airport receives daily flights from Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere in Africa. International airlines flying to Nigeria have been instructed by the government that they will have to redirect their traffic from Abuja to Kaduna, a city nearly 200km to the north. Shuttle buses for passengers would then be provided for onward travel to the capital, the transportation ministry said.
Many of the large carriers that use Abuja, including British Airways, Emirates, Air France and Virgin, have not issued statements on whether they will follow the government’s directive. But airline executives say companies have a multitude of concerns about the proposal.
Kidnappings and armed robberies on the highway between Kaduna and Abuja after dark were a frequent occurrence in the first half of last year.
Beyond the security concerns, companies are worried that they will not be able to provide a high level of service to passengers at the much smaller airport, one airline executive said.
The main terminal at Kaduna’s airport is itself under construction, though the government has said the “Hajj Terminal” used by Muslim pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia could be repurposed if the other terminal is not finished in time.
“There is a certain level of service our customers expect,” the executive said. “What about the captain and crew, where will they sleep there? What about refuelling? There are a lot of subjects that have to be taken care of.”
Julius Berger, an Abuja-based construction company, will resurface the runway and has pledged to complete the job in six weeks.
The government said it would cost 5.8bn naira ($18m). One person familiar with the project said the timeline is contingent upon the government releasing funds to the company in time for it to import materials from abroad.
This week, Mr Buhari sacked the head of four state-run agencies in the aviation sector, including the commissioner of the Transportation Ministry’s Accident Investigation bureau. No details were provided for the dismissals.
Financial times