Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, has commissioned the newly reconstructed Port Harcourt airport road and flagged off the construction of the airport bypass and tollgate project.
According to a statement on Friday by Tunde Moshood, special
adviser on media and communications to the minister, Keyamo joined the
government and people of Rivers state to celebrate another milestone in
infrastructural advancement and support for aviation development.
Speaking during the ceremony, Siminalayi Fubara, governor of
Rivers state, said the project was driven by the need to address long-standing
grievances of the airport’s host community.
Fubara recalled how residents once blocked the airport road for an entire day in protest, shutting down commercial operations.
“The protesters demanded employment opportunities,
electricity and improved welfare, expressing concerns over longstanding
marginalization despite hosting such critical national infrastructure,” the
governor said.
He said his administration has since delivered two of the
three requests — a functional health centre and electricity — while the airport
bypass and toll gate project, which he said would be completed within seven
months, is now underway.
Fubara added that the third demand, employment, though not
within his direct control, is under review.
In his remarks, Keyamo commended the Rivers government for
addressing community concerns while supporting Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He described the reconstructed airport road as a
“transformational intervention,” noting that its previous condition had long
been an “embarrassment” to travellers, airlines and investors arriving in the
state.
The minister said the project aligns with the federal
government’s aviation development agenda, reaffirming the government’s
readiness to work with Rivers and other sub-national governments to deliver
safer, modern and accessible airports.
According to the statement, the commissioning of the airport
road and the flag-off of the bypass and toll gate project underscore Fubara’s
commitment to people-centred governance and to positioning Rivers as a key
player in Nigeria’s aviation and economic growth.
On August 1, the federal executive council (FEC) approved
contracts worth over N900 billion for rehabilitation of Lagos and Port Harcourt
airports.
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