As part of the ongoing commissioning of projects as the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration comes to an end, the Minister of State, (Aviation), Sen. Hadi Sirika had revealed that the new airport terminal at the Aminu Kano International Airport is 90 percent completed.
Speaking at the Commissioning of some projects at the airport, the minister said “This is the first time that Kano has seen this significant progress and perhaps before the end of the year we will finish the international terminal and as you can see that currently, we are just doing the apron where the airplane will taxi and park and when that is done we will be able to deliver that project. So the project is 90 percent completed and we would want to score the 100 percent because the contractor is on site, money is provided, if government will extend to July, it will be possible for us to achieve the 100 percent just like we did for Port Harcourt and Abuja.”
He further noted that “Kano is part of 157 projects initiated and undertaken by the government in aviation sector between 2015 and 2019.
“Out of these 157 projects, 134 have been completed 100 percent. Some of them were inherited projects that we finished and most of them were new projects that we started and completed by the grace of God 100 percent.
” The remaining balance are in excess or most of them are in excess of 50 per cent and very few of them below 50 per cent completion.
“We are in Kano because in Kano, we have done a lot. Few of them for example under NiMet, we have commissioned the regional office which will serve the seven north western states.
“Under AIB, we have also commissioned the office which will also serve this zone and I think AIB has four offices in Lagos, Enugu, Abuja and Kano and we have commissioned that of Kano.
”Also, on the part of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), we have commissioned the DVOR which is the Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range equipment and the Instrument Landing System equipment and the radios for communication. These things that we do in aviation most of them are not things that the passenger or traveling public can notice and see because there are remote away from sight but they make aviation very safe and secure and also in addition very precise. They intended to bring down airplanes safely and also take them up to their various destinations. This is part of what we do that passengers don’t see.
“So, more than 90 percent of what we do are off the eyes of the people.
Aviation is not about terminal building, it is about quite a number of things that are working together. Terminal building itself is of significant importance because it creates the atmosphere and the ambience to drag towards us the people who would be flown all over the place. In that way it makes our jobs worth it and also it makes us improve upon our services and then our revenue generation.”
Also speaking, the managing director of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu said “we are going to commission all the completed projects that have been undertaken in the last four years. A lot have been commissioned along the line but on this day, we said we should complete it.
Other projects commissioned include the Genre Aviation Terminal, (GAT) in Makia, Kano; Fire and Rescue Station, General Aviation Terminal, Abuja Airport; Independent Power Plant, Abuja Airport; Domestic Terminal D, Abuja Airport; and the Accident Rescue Centre at the Abuja airport.
