Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu reopened for flight operations on 30 August 2020, ending a roughly year-long closure that began in August 2019 when the Federal Government shut the facility over the deteriorating condition of its runway. President Muhammadu Buhari approved N10 billion for the emergency rehabilitation, which repaved the entire length of the runway alongside terminal, drainage, perimeter fence and navigation aid upgrades.
Domestic First, International to Follow
Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, who had relocated to Enugu in the final days of the project to oversee its completion, told the reopening ceremony that domestic flights could resume immediately, with international services to follow on 5 September once the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force cleared Nigeria's international airports to reopen. Sirika described the rebuilt runway as a testament to the president's commitment to infrastructure, and said it would rank among the best in the country on completion.
Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi thanked the federal government for the N10 billion allocation, while Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, speaking on behalf of the South-East Governors' Forum, used the ceremony to appeal for more international flights into the airport, arguing that expanded air links would boost the region's economy. The rehabilitation also included work led by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to upgrade the airport's instrument landing and VHF radio coverage.