TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT, NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS ON NNAMDI AZIKIWE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ABUJA PROPOSED 6 WEEKS CLOSURE

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TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT, NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS ON NNAMDI AZIKIWE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ABUJA PROPOSED 6 WEEKS CLOSURE

HELD  AT EPRD HALL, NATIONAL ENGINEERING CENTRE, ABUJA.

Background
The Federal Ministry of Transport (Aviation) held a Stakeholders’ Forum on January 5th, 2017 at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja on the proposed closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, for maintenance repairs works.

The HMS (Aviation) noted as follows:
a.      The FGN has taken a decision to temporarily close the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for 6 weeks commencing from March 8, 2017 to carry out comprehensive renovation works on the Airport Runway in order to meet International Civil Aviation Standards.
b.      The Kaduna International Airport has been designated as the alternative airport to be used during the period of closure.
c.       FMoT collaboration with relevant MDAs and organizations focusing on transit and security arrangement to ensure the provision of all the necessary logistics for a seamless and hitch-free operation.
NSE OBSERVATIONS

Preamble
The aviation sector is a part of Nigeria’s transportation network and contributes significantly to the socio-economic growth of Nigeria.  Any disruption in the operations of this sector, particularly at an international airport that connects Nigeria to the rest of the world, has a huge impact.

Absence of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja meant lack of excess runway capacity to temporarily close the main runway for repair.  In addition, shutting down the only runway will create enormous ripple effects for all the passengers and cargo traffic flowing in and out of NAIA, Abuja which is an airport hub.  In far worse scenarios, committed efforts have kept airports operational while maintenance/repairs are on-going. 

A good example is the Uli airport runway which was kept open during the civil war through quick fixes to crater caused by exploding bombs. Another example is the replacement of the aging Frankfurt Airport runway in 2005, closure of the runway was not an option.  All work was scheduled in a seven-and-a-half hour night-time window over 300 nights in 15m section of the main runway.  The replacement material by dawn was hard enough to hold a Boeing 747 and cool enough not to explode its tyres.  This and other similar projects are seen as likely template for other airport renovations.

Considering the importance of the aviation sector to Nigerian economy and the potential negative impact of the proposed 6-week airport closure, NSE responded to the Federal Ministry of Transport (Aviation) Stakeholders Forum Newspaper advert by sending a robust representation to the Stakeholders Forum led by the NSE Deputy President.    

Unfortunately, the decision of the Hon Minister State (Aviation) to limit contributions to only three stakeholders precluded the views of NSE from being heard.  This necessitated a short intervention through a short press interview at the end of the Stakeholders Forum by the Chairman, Board of Fellows NSE which was aired in some television channels.

The NSE having carried out an extensive and robust review of the phenomenal and devastating impact which the proposed closure of Abuja airport would impose on the competiveness of our economy, which is already steeped in deep recession, and mindful of the security implications that might be associated with the proposed plan, is compelled to recommend and note as follows:

·         Operational models at Uli and Frankfurt airport must be adopted to keep the Abuja airport open which implies working in sections.
·         Construction of the second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja must commence immediately.
·         Present non-integrated management of transport sectors has not worked. There is an urgent need to adopt a holistic and inter-modal approach.
·         NSE wishes to reemphasize the need to collapse all transport modes (railway, road, marine, aviation) into Federal Ministry of Transport for greater efficiency and improved management.
·         NSE recognizes and praises the effort of the leadership of NASS in driving the transport sector reforms and would like to encourage the executive arm of government to key in.
·         We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint competent and professionally exposed Nigerian engineers to head engineering/infrastructure ministries as a way to strengthening the change agenda.
·         NSE has just received report which indicates failure of the recently completed Enugu airport runway by PW.  In order to avoid similar predicament and possible closure in future, it is recommended that the model proposed here be adopted for Enugu and any other airport with similar problems.


Thank you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Engr. Otis Anyaeji, FNSE, FAEng
President

The Nigerian Society of Engineers

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