Coronavirus: Why We Shut Down Major Airports – Buhari Govt

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Posted by Shollay March 21, 2020

The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has explained that the closure of three international airports was part of measures to contain the deadly coronavirus.

Naija News recalls that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had shut down the Kano International Airport, Kano, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State.

Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari on Friday, Sirika said the airports were shut in order to minimise the entry points into Nigeria.

He said: “The wisdom in closing the three airports is that we try to minimise entry points because these things are imported; so we try to minimize the entry points by closing down Kano, Port Harcourt and Akanu Ibiam and then restricting Lagos to remove those 15 countries.”

The Aviation Minister noted that only travellers from countries that had less than 1000 reported cases would be allowed into Nigeria for now.

He revealed that the travel ban on 15 countries took effect from midnight today, Saturday.

According to Hadi Sirika, the Lagos and Abuja airports, as well as other airports in Nigeria, would also be closed when the need arose.

“This is my individual perception, at some point, these airports must be closed; this is my opinion, but like I said there is a Presidential Taskforce on CONVID-19 to which I am a member; but certainly and definitely, at some point, these airports, all of them in Nigeria will be closed”, he added.

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