The Senate has urged the federal government to begin the process of upgrading the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Maiduguri, Borno State for international operations.
The Red Chamber, which specifically urged the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo, to take urgent action on the matter, mandated its Committee on Aviation for a follow up and report back within eight weeks.
The resolutions followed a motion by Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno) and co-sponsored by 11 others across party lines during Wednesday’s sitting.
Ndume stressed the urgent need to upgrade the airport to an internationally operated airport in the North East with matching equipment like the international runways and tarmacs.
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He lamented that only the North East lacked an international airport among the six geo-political zones despite the fact that Borno State borders three countries, namely Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
He added that upgrading the airport would also attract foreign direct investments, enhance economic development, improve the quality of life of the people in the zone and ultimately increase the gross domestic product of the country.
