Nigeria’s airport project nears completion

The Abuja Airport terminal expansion project in Nigeria, currently under construction by Chinese company CECC, is around 30 per cent complete and is expected to open for operation in December 2014. The scheme, when completed, will connect the city centre to the satellite towns in the country.

The Federal Government has embarked on improving most of the nation’s airport terminals across the country via various remodelling and expansion works with a view to bringing them up to international standards.

Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala said: “We took a loan of US$500 million from the Exim Bank of China representing the Chinese government in order to construct modern terminals in this country. This is something we need and we have four outstanding terminals of Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt in mind; the expansion works are ongoing.” She went on to say that the government is similarly constructing the Enugu and Bayelsa terminals from the government’s internal funding.

In addition, the US$849 million Federal Capital Transport Authority (FCTA) light rail project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2015.