Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Three months after the Lagos and Abuja international airports were opened to international flights, the Federal Government is set to reopen Kano and Port Harcourt international airports as well.
Speaking Thursday during a briefing of the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19, the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, said the two airports would be reopened when the twin issues of ICT infrastructures and adequate number of staff to man the airports have been provided.
According to him, reopening of the two airports is to decongest Lagos and Abuja airports and making travels more convenient for passengers.
Nuhu said the NCAA was waiting on the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) to provide the ICT infrastructures, while port health services are already working to have adequate number of staff to man the airports.
He did not disclose date of reopening but says soon.
The federal government had on September 5th announced the resumption of international flights from Abuja and Lagos airports.
Meanwhile,
The Director General Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has advised Nigerians to suspend unnecessary travels particularly to high burden countries for the next one year.
He said: “As we inch towards the end of the year we really want people to limit the nine essential travels. Any trip outside the country especially to countries with higher prevalence infection, if it is not absolutely necessary, if it is not essential, work related, before we even go into testing or not testing, we will advise that you wait another year, do not travel please stay in Nigeria and let us make sure that we continue managing the situation like we have done so far.”