(EDITORIAL) Expired Airport Runways: A disaster waiting to happen!

Nigeria’s aviation sector is facing a critical infrastructure crisis, with many of its airport runways having exceeded their lifespan.

The current runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, for instance, constructed in 1982, with a lifespan of 20 years, has since expired.
This information is sourced from aviation records.

Similarly, the runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the country’s busiest airport, is also in a state of disrepair.

In fact, airplanes belonging to Dana Air, Air Peace, Ibom Air and Xejet, have in the past two months had issues upon landing on the runway.

While these incidents are being investigated, a clue suddenly pops up – the runways in our airports have since expired.

The consequences of this are far-reaching, posing significant risks to the safety of passengers, aircraft, and crew.

It is a national embarrassment, a ticking time bomb, and a stark reminder of the criminal neglect of key infrastructures in the country.

The regular patching of the expired runways is a recipe for catastrophe. It is against global best practices, and must be discouraged.

How can a government be so callous and irresponsible with the lives of its citizens? This is a breach of trust, a dereliction of duty, and a slap in the face to the long-suffering Nigerian people.

Diaspora Digital Media hereby calls on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, to declare a state of emergency in the sector and necessitate release of funds for the reconstruction and upgrading of airport runways.

He has to reduce his appearances on television stations, and instead devote more time inspecting our airports with a team of competent hands in the sector.

The Nigerian people will no longer tolerate this government’s incompetence and disregard for human life.

The Nigerian government must act now to avert a runway disaster that will haunt our nation for generations to come.

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