Posted by From Funmi Peter-Omale and Donald Andoor in Abuja on
Minister for the Federal Capital Territory and member, National Economic Team, Mallam Nasir el Rufai, has said Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,will be privatised this year.
Minister for the Federal Capital Territory and member, National Economic Team, Mallam Nasir el Rufai, has said Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,will be privatised this year.
The move is to make it a more viable investment, considering the fact that it is the second largest money spinning airport in Nigeria.
el-Rufai said this while defending the FCT 2006 Budget before the House of Representatives Committee.
According to him, the project was started by the defunct Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (MFCT), while his tenure inherited the project and has been trying to complete it.
'The airport project is one of the several projects we inherited from the MFCT. Another one is the NTA headquarters project. All these projects are draining the resources of the FCTA and we have been trying to see how they could be handed over to the ministries.
'10 terminals are supposed to be constructed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, but the FCTA had only been able to complete two, due to dwindling resources.
'Now, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has taken over the airport and there is a problem. It is the second most profitable Airport in Nigeria and an income spinner. We have been building the airport for years and we are still building. But now that the place has been taken over by FAAN and even as the Airport is to be privatised this year, we don't know what will happen," he said.
El Rufai said 'the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) has agreed that when the airport is sold, the proceeds will come to the FCTA."
He said the same goes for the NTA headquarters project, as well as electrical projects for the defunct National Electric Power Authority, now Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN).
'Every electrical project in the FCT for NEPA was built by the FCTA. When the privatisation of NEPA is completed, the proceeds should come to the FCTA and we have already spoken to government about this"
He stressed that the Administration was in dire need of funds to complete inherited unfinished projects as well as complete building infrastructure facilities for the growing population in the federal capital and adjoining satellite towns.