The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the quality of rehabilitation work carried out on the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
He stated that he was not impressed upon inspecting the site.
In a statement shared via his official X handle on Saturday, Keyamo announced the federal government’s decision to shut down the runway for two weeks beginning April 22, 2025, to undertake emergency repair works due to worsening safety concerns.
“Dear compatriots, we have been compelled to take this decision to close the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for two weeks starting from April 22nd, 2025, in order to carry out major repair works on it,” he stated.
The minister explained that the airport, which serves as a key international gateway for Nigeria’s Southeastern region, had previously undergone a major rehabilitation in 2019 that kept it shut for an entire year.
However, he noted that the reconstruction failed to properly address the waterlogging issues that continue to plague the runway.
“Unfortunately, when we came to the 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,” he said.
Keyamo, who personally visited the airport after assuming office, did not mince words about his disappointment.
“I personally visited the airport some months after assuming office and expressed my total displeasure with the work done by the contractor,” he declared.
The minister added that, although palliative works had been ongoing, the situation had deteriorated to the point where the cracks had become “craters,” necessitating a complete shutdown for urgent intervention.
“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,” he added.
While apologising to the public for the inconvenience, Keyamo said the ministry was making arrangements to reroute flights to nearby airports during the closure.
“We sincerely apologise to Nigerians over this development as the airport is our major international gateway in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
“In the meantime, scheduled flight operations to Enugu will be diverted to other neighbouring airports. We are going to work tirelessly to meet the timeline in order to mitigate the inconvenience this closure will cause the travelling public”, he said.
PUNCH Online reports that the federal government earlier announced the temporary closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Obiageli Orah, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday morning.
Orah said the airport was shut to allow urgent repairs on a damaged part of the runway.
