Tinubu Approves Second Runway for Abuja Airport
President Bola Tinubu has again approved the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure.
This makes it the second approval by successive Presidents, signalling renewed commitment by the Federal Government to construct the runway.
Speaking at the Nigeria Aircraft Acquisition and Investment Summit 2026, with the theme ‘Unlocking capital, confidence and capacity in Nigerian aviation,’ the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced that, in continuation of the President’s development agenda, after completing the ongoing construction at the Lagos airport, the government will move to another airport.
Recall that, following a dire need, the Federal Government in April 2009 unveiled plans to construct a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at an estimated cost of N64bn.
Under successive ministers, the Chinese contractors reviewed the contract price upward, citing economic conditions as the reason for the increase. The amount rose to N90bn in 2023 and surged to N532bn by 2025 for the same contract. Following this astronomical increase, the minister rejected the contract sum and has yet to announce an acceptable amount for the project.
The project, championed by the then Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba, was designed as a 4.5-kilometre runway capable of accommodating the world’s largest passenger aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777, among others. The proposed runway was to be 75 metres wide and equipped with Category III airfield lighting.
The minister had earlier disclosed in January that President Bola Tinubu had ordered him to source alternative means of funding for the runway outside the budget.
Now, the minister has announced the approval of the President, but has yet to explain how the government intends to fund the project. He also did not mention the contract sum for the project.
He said, “A second runway has been approved by Mr President, and this is the first time I am saying it here today. We have secured the President’s approval to construct the runway.
“To our global financiers, lessors, OEMs, development partners, and institutional investors, let me say this with clarity: Nigeria is ready. We have strengthened our compliance architecture. We have improved creditor assurance. We have demonstrated progress on revenue repatriation. We are supporting local MRO development.”
He added that the government is not only focused on infrastructure but also on broader systemic reforms, saying, “We are investing in digital and institutional reform. We are pursuing cargo modernisation. And we are doing so in one of Africa’s most consequential aviation markets.”
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Chris Najomo, in his welcome address, said unlocking capital in the aviation sector would require dismantling longstanding structural and financial barriers that have constrained the growth of Nigerian airlines.
He noted that aircraft acquisition remains highly capital-intensive, warning that without access to sustainable and affordable financing, fleet expansion and modernisation would continue to lag.
To address this, Najomo advocated stronger legal and institutional frameworks to support aircraft financing, while also urging investors and financiers to develop innovative solutions tailored to Nigeria’s operating environment.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke virtually, highlighted the critical role of aviation in global trade, noting that the movement of goods from production to delivery is heavily dependent on air transport.
However, she lamented that Africa’s aviation sector has contributed only marginally to this value chain, pointing out that intra-African trade still stands at just 16 per cent, while the continent accounts for only about three per cent of global trade despite its vast population and economic potential.
Okonjo-Iweala also expressed concern over the steady decline in passenger traffic since 2014, attributing it to multiple structural and operational challenges within the industry.
She added, “Public Private Partnership offers a credible platform for aircraft acquisition and expansion. Government must see the aviation sector as an enabler, rather than revenue generation for the country.”