VP says Abuja airport will be reopened on April 19

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, undertook a tour of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, today, Friday, April 7, 2017.

While interacting with journalists, the nation's number two citizen expressed confidence that the airport will soon be reopened on the scheduled date of April 19.

The Abuja airport was closed to traffic on March 7, 2017, for repair of a fast eroding runway.

Here's the exchange between Osinbajo and members of the press:

Q: What are your observations after the tour?

I have looked round and I think that what I've seen and also from the information from the contractors, from the consultants, things are going very very well.

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We are told that we are nearing completion and we are clearly on schedule and we expect to see that this will be completed well on schedule. I don’t think we should expect any delays whatsoever.

We have assurances from the consultants that we are clearly on schedule, so by the 19th of this month, a new runway should be settled.

Q: Do you have any reservations?

I have no reservations. I think that by just looking at all of this myself, inspecting it and listening to the consultants, listening to the contractors, listening to the personnel from FAAN and the Ministry of Transport, I think that a lot of work has gone in here.

The contractors are doing 24 hour shifts, working round the clock. I think they have taken the job very seriously and we expect to see that this will be done and completed by the 19th as they have promised.

Q: Your Excellency, are we expecting any work at the terminal building; because we have been hearing also over time that they are going to do some work at the terminal building in respect of upgrading it to standard?

VP: FAAN has said it is already starting to do something,…they say they have started to do some work.