President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika to speed up the concessioning of Nigeria’s four main airports.
Buhari placed the order at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Tuesday during the launch of the new terminal.
The facility was built by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC).
The President has also asked Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed to raise funds for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.
He said the concessioning of terminals in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Abuja would further boost the development of the sector and grow the economy.
He was quoted saying that the new terminal in Lagos would create employment for young people.
He said 3,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be generated in addition to an improved Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the country.
The President said the aviation roadmap drawn up in 2016 has been a constituency with infrastructure development.
“This event showcases our to growing the Nigerian economy despite the challenges in finance.
“The commitment of this administration includes: agriculture, aviation and infrastructure development, among others.
“We have designated Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports as free trade zones, while we have also removed Value Added Tax (VAT) from air travel,” he added.
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