Abuja airport closure: Shop owners, cab drivers, passengers lament
Aviators have estimated massive loss when the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for six weeks happens.
Recall the government has concluded plans to close the airport to traffic from March 8, 2017 so the entire runway, which has failed, can be fixed. During the period the airport will remain closed that of Kaduna will be the alternative airport.
Though opinions from industry stakeholders over the rationality of the closure, the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has said closure is strictly for safety considerations in the best interest of the country.
Small businesses who operate small shops at the Abuja airport say a six weeks closure means six weeks without any income.
Mallam Ali Abdulazeez Aliu, the Executive Chairman, Airport Car Hire Association of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja said they will definitely be out of income during the closure.
“If passengers don’t come to Abuja airport, we are out of business” he said adding that each of his members may be loosing at least N10,000 on weekly basis.
Miss Margaret Patrick, a vendor stand operator at the International departure side said she will definitely close her vendor stand and stay at home. She estimated a loss of about of N10,000 per week during the closure.
Miss Patrick, who also sells recharge card and few books says she hasn’t figured out how she will survive the six weeks closure.
Mallam Aliyu Yahaya, the CEO, Gogora Nigeria Limited, a trader in clothes and jewelries at the domestic departure terminal said up till now he hasn’t been officially served notice that the airport will be shut down. “I’m still on standby waiting for the final word on the matter before I take a decision” he said. He however noted that once the airport is shut down, naturally they will vacate their shops.
On the estimated losses, he said he can’t give a definite estimate as his profits fluctuate depending on the sales of the day even though he agreed he will incur some losses.
Alh. Nura Mohammed, the CEO, Mai Nasara who deals in shoes and clothes at the Abuja airport lamented the closure saying he would have to relocate to Kano to live with his families as living without an income in Abuja for six weeks will be devastating. “If I stay in Abuja, how will I pay my bills and feed without an income ?” He asked.
Dr. Ndubisi Igwe, an endocrine medical doctor who runs the Preferred Clinics in Lagos and Abuja said he will cancel all air travels during the closure.
“I’m a medical doctor and businessman so I am a frequent traveler between Abuja and Lagos. Sometimes I have scheduled appointments with clients and even patients in Lagos because I am based in Abuja. But I won’t be travelling within the six weeks because it would be too much of stress for me to go to Kaduna to fly. I probably would also be cancelling all appointments in Lagos during that period of closure. Obviously my business will be affected” he said.
Another traveler, Dr. Toyin Ogunleye, said the closure will affect alot of businesses around Abuja. “For me, we are already counting the impact. Some of our International guests, have cancelled their scheduled visit to Nigeria. We can’t possibly put them on the Abuja-Kaduna road so they chose to cancel their visit until after the repairs” he said.