Tinubu Approves Second Runway for Abuja Airport, Seeks Alternative Funding

President Bola Tinubu has granted approval for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, marking the latest push to upgrade Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure. The approval, which follows a similar endorsement by previous administrations, comes with a directive that the project be funded through non-budgetary sources.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed the development on Tuesday while speaking at the Nigeria Aircraft Acquisition and Investment Summit 2026 in Abuja. He stated that the government would proceed with the Abuja runway after completing ongoing works at the Lagos airport.

“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,” Keyamo said.

The proposed second runway was first unveiled by the Federal Government in April 2009 at an estimated cost of N64 billion. However, successive contract reviews by Chinese contractors pushed the price to N90 billion by 2023 and further to N532 billion by 2025, citing prevailing economic conditions. The minister previously rejected the revised sum, and no new contract figure has been announced.

Originally designed as a 4.5-kilometre, 75-metre-wide runway with Category III airfield lighting, the facility is intended to accommodate large passenger aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777.

In January, President Tinubu had instructed Keyamo to explore alternative funding mechanisms outside the federal budget. At the summit, the minister did not provide details on the funding model but assured global financiers of Nigeria’s readiness.

“We have strengthened our compliance architecture. We have improved creditor assurance. We have demonstrated progress on revenue repatriation. We are supporting local MRO development,” Keyamo said.

Also addressing the summit, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Chris Najomo, called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to support aircraft financing, noting that fleet expansion has been constrained by limited access to sustainable credit.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, speaking virtually, underscored aviation’s role in global trade but lamented Africa’s marginal contribution. She noted that intra-African trade remains at 16 per cent, and the continent accounts for only about three per cent of global trade. She urged governments to view aviation as an enabler rather than a revenue source, adding that public-private partnerships offer a credible platform for growth.