Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has voiced serious concern over the standard of rehabilitation work recently done on the runway of Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.
After inspecting the site, he noted that the quality of work did not meet expectations.
In an update posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Keyamo disclosed that the federal government has decided to temporarily close the runway for a two-week period starting April 22, 2025. This move, he explained, is to allow for urgent repair work in response to escalating safety issues.
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“Dear compatriots, we have been compelled to take this decision to close the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for two weeks starting from April 22nd, 2025, in order to carry out major repair works on it,” he stated.
According to the minister, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport—an important hub for air travel in Nigeria’s Southeast—had undergone significant rehabilitation in 2019, which led to a year-long closure. Despite that extensive effort, he pointed out that the project did not adequately resolve persistent waterlogging problems that still affect the runway.
“Unfortunately, when we came to the office, we discovered that the waterlogged part of the runway was not properly constructed to take care of the problem, leading to constant cracks and potholes on the runway. These obviously put the lives of the travelling public at great risk,” he said. Keyamo, who inspected the airport shortly after taking office, openly expressed his disappointment without holding back.
“I personally visited the airport some months after assuming office and expressed my total displeasure with the work done by the contractor,” he declared.
Keyamo also announced the launch of a direct flight route between Nigeria and Tanzania.
He noted that while temporary repair efforts had been underway, the runway’s condition had worsened significantly—cracks had expanded into what he described as “craters”—making a full closure unavoidable to carry out critical repairs.
“We have been carrying out constant palliative works on it, but the problem has not abated, and the cracks on the runway are becoming craters,” he added.
Keyamo offered an apology to travelers for the inconvenience the closure may cause, assuring that the ministry is coordinating plans to divert flights to alternative nearby airports throughout the repair period.
“We sincerely apologise to Nigerians over this development as the airport is our major international gateway in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
“In the meantime, scheduled flight operations to Enugu will be diverted to other neighbouring airports. We are going to work tirelessly to meet the timeline in order to mitigate the inconvenience this closure will cause the travelling public”, he said.
This trails Federal Government’s decision to temporarily shut down the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State.
In an official statement released on Saturday morning, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Obiageli Orah, confirmed the closure.
According to Orah, the suspension of operations was necessary to carry out emergency repairs on a section of the runway that had sustained damage.
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