FAAN MD, George Uriesi
Top Chinese construction company that built the world’s biggest airport
in China, Beijing Capital International Airport, would start the
construction of four airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port
Harcourt in June, 2013.
This was disclosed Monday by the Managing Director of the Federal
Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), George Uriesi, at the opening of
the restaurant chain, Things Remembered, at the General Aviation
Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The construction of the terminals by the Chinese company was part of
the agreement reached between the world’s most populous country and the
Federal Government when the latter took a loan for the construction of
the terminals.
Uriesi said after the initial agreement last year, government officials
have been doing the paperwork to work out the details of the agreement
before the commencement of work by the Chinese construction company this
June.
Last year, the Federal Government and Chinese investors reached an
agreement that China would provide loan for the country to build
state-of-the-art terminals at the four major airports in Nigeria.
The projects, THISDAY learnt, were planned to be completed before the
end of this administration and the terminals would not only meet
international standards but also rival the best in the world, according
to Uriesi.
Although the terms of agreement reached between the government and the
investors were not made public, it was gathered that it would be on
build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement.
The prototype of the terminal has already been obtained and the Federal
Government has agreed to provide free land for the project at the four
airports, and because of the expected expanse of the terminal at the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, it would be built a
distance away from the existing international terminal at the airport,
but would share the same runway.
FAAN Managing Director also said the agency would soon upgrade power
supply in all the airports in the country, but would start Independent
Power Project (IPP) that would be powered by gas for the Lagos airport.
He said in the next few weeks the new power generation plants that were
almost completed would be inaugurated, disclosing that out of the six
generators the airport would need only two, while the rest would be on
standby.
He added that the power plants could supply electricity to the whole
airport and beyond.
Uriesi also said FAAN has adopted a new way of doing business and is
fully guided by international business precepts, stating that before a
private investor is allowed to establish any business or build
facilities at any of the nation’s airports, the investor must meet
strict conditions and must be backed by a bank that would provide credit
facility for such projects.
He said the number of highly placed persons intending investors know
cannot influence FAAN’s decisions because the agency has to adopt
international standards of doing business at the airports.
“We are doing things right now and we are doing the right thing. Any
deal that we strike with anybody will be done as they are done in other
parts of the world. The business expectations are clear, the criteria
are clear unlike in the past.
“We are not doing anything for a person but for Nigerians, we are not
going to do anything with anybody unless we have evidence from the banks
that they are funding the project and the money is there, from the day
you sign and the day you start construction is six months, if you don’t
start within that period, the thing falls away,” Uriesi said.
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