By Michael Eboh, with Agency Report

The Federal Government, yesterday, said it will spend $2 billion, about N320 billion, in the building of new airport terminals and restructuring of old ones over the next four years.

Mr. Osita Chidoka, Minister of Aviation, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, said the Federal Government is already in talks with private investors on the issue of setting up a new national airline, which is expected to come on stream within the next four years.

He said the national carrier, which is expected to tap growth, will be commercially run, adding that conversations are on across many possible private sector organizations, both local airlines in Nigeria and then some international airlines.

“We are totally changing the face of four key airports. Nigeria is studying the possibility of attracting private capital to do that,” he stated.

He further stated that about $1 billion (N160 billion) has been provided by the Federal Government for the current plans, with another $1 billion earmarked within the project’s duration of four years.

He added that the Federal Government is also building 13 cargo airports across the country for the export of perishable agricultural produce such as pineapples, mangoes and tomatoes.

Chidoka disclosed that the Federal Government is considering privatising some operations of airports across the country, such as revenue collection and customer services.
He said, “Privatization of some operations of the airports may be on the cards. It will most likely be airport management, things like that, collecting of revenues, managing lounges. We have to build infrastructure that matches our aspiration.”