FG to reopen Kano, Port Harcourt airports to international travels

The Federal Government has said that it was set to reopen the Kano and Port Harcourt international airports for commercial activities.

This comes three months after the Lagos and Abuja international airports were opened to international flights.

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The Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

According to him, 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.

He said that the reopening of the two airports was to decongest Lagos and Abuja airports and making travels more convenient for passengers.
Nuhu said that 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, however, did not disclose the exact date of reopening, but says it would be soon.

Also speaking, the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, advised Nigerians to suspend unnecessary travels particularly to high burden countries for the next one year.

“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,” Ihekweazu said.

He said that this was more so than especially the Christmas period when people embarked on travels.