Market News

By Wole Oyebade

Eleven years after it was abandoned, the Lagos airport Taxiway B has received the attention of the Federal Government with rehabilitation work now in progress.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, yesterday, confirmed via Twitter that repairs had begun and should be completed by February 2021.

Sirika stated: “Work has commenced at Lagos Taxiway B (known Central Taxiway B), abandoned for 11 years. It is a safety and efficiency matter, set to deliver it Feb. ’21.”

Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu, said the Taxiway B after completion, would boost operational optimisation of the existing runway at the international wing of the airport.

“It means that the airport can handle more planes now and the runway can serve as a safety item, because aircraft can be separated on the ground and have more room for maneuvering in and out. It can also be used in time of emergency.

“It is a safety critical item that has been missing at the Lagos airport and many of the pilots have been complaining. It is the focus of the minister to get it done and delivered on or before February 2021 and it is a landmark effort by the honourable minister.”

A source, who knew about the project when it was first conceived, said the project was abandoned after an investigation by the House of Representatives.

“House of Representatives members at the time began an investigation, throwing the baby away with the bathwater and the project was abandoned for about 11 years. It is a very critical safety element at the Lagos airport and it is a good thing that the Minister is embarking on the project.”