The Federal Government has revealed that it has decontaminated Nigeria’s four major international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic through the facilities.
It was also gathered that the government was expanding the exercise to 18 other airports across the country.
This came after the Minister of Environment, Muhammad Mahmood, announced recently that the Federal Government targets to decontaminate 123 aircraft but had so far decontaminated only two.
Mahmood had also stated that 13 airports across the country had been mapped out for decontamination by his ministry, adding that work was ongoing on other facilities.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Henrietta Yakubu, said four international airports had already been decontaminated.
She disclosed that the four airports would be disinfected again, especially after they were used to evacuate some foreign nationals recently.
Yakubu said, “It (decontamination) will be done. The four international airports were decontaminated recently and it will be done again on them.
“This is because of the foreign nationals who were recently evacuated from our airports and for the purpose of keeping the airports safe.”
Yakubu stated that FAAN was working to ensure that the airports were disinfected before they become open for full operations.
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“So, definitely before the airports are opened again for full operations, we will decontaminate them. We are working on the schedule with the Federal Ministry of Environment,” she stated.
Yakubu added, “We are putting everything together to come out with the schedule and it will be done in phases.”
On how the exercise would be done, the FAAN spokesperson said, “The international airports will go first. This time it will be the second decontamination exercise on the four major international airports.
“Then after that, the local airports will follow. We are doing this across our airports. So we are starting with the international and then gradually move to the domestic airports.”
Yakubu said all airports under the management of FAAN would be disinfected in due course.
“So eventually all the 22 airports are going to be decontaminated, definitely. Once the schedule is out you will be informed,” she stated.
The Environment Minister had said his ministry was awaiting further clearance from the Federal Ministry of Aviation before the next phase of decontamination would commence.
