Nosa Osula-Aituamen
The long-awaited construction of the second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja has hit a major roadblock due to a staggering cost increase.
The project, initially budgeted at ₦90 billion, now faces a revised estimate of ₦532 billion, leading to a significant delay according to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr. Festus Keyamo during the ministry’s budget defense 2025 before the National Assembly.
The Abuja second runway project has been plagued by controversies for years.
Conceived to alleviate growing air traffic congestion, it has faced numerous delays and budget revisions since its inception.
While initially approved with a budget of ₦64 billion in 2009, the project was canceled in 2010 due to corruption allegations.
Despite subsequent budgetary allocations, including ₦10 billion in 2017, ₦8 billion in 2018, ₦13 billion in 2019, and ₦14 billion in 2021, the project has struggled to gain traction.
Under the President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration, the project was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Limited (CCECC) at ₦67 billion.
However, efforts to restart the project has meant another brick wall as the current minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr Festus Keyamo stated that the contractor has abandoned the site after receiving ₦30 billion of the initial ₦90 billion allocation, citing an “unacceptable contract variation” as the reason for withdrawal.
He said, the contractor’s demand for the substantial cost adjustment has halted construction.
“From 90billion to N532billion within a space of 2 years to do the 2nd runway, I will not accept it”.
The cost escalation has triggered widespread criticism and calls for accountability.
Aviation analysts, including retired Group Captain John Ojikutu and Mr. Olu Ohunayo, have urged the National Assembly to investigate the project’s financial history. They emphasized the need for transparency in tracking funds earmarked for the runway.
“The National Assembly should go back to their archives and find out submissions of the 2nd runway. Increase of over 700% for the last submitted by Sirika needs to be properly investigated. Am also of the opinion that the figures should also be looked into I feel, it is too high”.
An Aviation union leader, Comrade Olayinka Abioye called for better collaboration between the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to ensure the project’s integrity.
“They must work together, their policy formulations and contract, bidding process must be synergized so much that, there would be no lacunal we don’t want a situation where we make ourselves a laughing stock of the aviation community that we cannot put our acts together and do something worthwhile”.
Meanwhile, Managing Director, FAAN Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku provided clarifications on the current status of the project, though specifics remain unclear.
“The scope of that project has changed, there is also been price variation off course which is affected by the scope, forex fluctuation, there is addition information that has come on which the minister has and which off course provides him with a lot of discomfort”.
However, the minister of Aviation has threatened to cancel the contract.
“I will not accept it, the option I have is to cancel the contract”.
As the federal government weighs the contractor’s demand for additional funds, stakeholders anticipate a back-and-forth negotiation to resolve the stalemate.