From Abel Leonard, Lafia
President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the Lafia City Airport and the Nasarawa State Skills Acquisition Centre in Lafia, the state capital.
The commissioning which was held Thursday at the Lafia Airport Kwandere and the skills acquisition centre in Lafia respectively opened up the ideology of the governor of Nasarawa State Engr Abdullahi Sule to create job opportunities for the teeming youths and to also equipped them with skills.
The Lafia Airport is a project initiated by the former governor, Umar Tanko Almakura, and the same as the Acquisition Centre, but has now been completed by the present administration led by Engr. Abdullahi Sule.
During the commissioning of the airport, Governor Sule said the airport has opened up the place in terms of economic development and has eased air transport issues for Nasarawa people.
The airport is housed with both national and international facilities that would stand a taste of the time for the future generations of the state.
The Lafia airport is a PPP project between the State Government and a Chinese Firm, Tongyi Group. 75% to Tongyi and 25% to the state. It’s a 2.2 km length runaway and will be extended to 2.5km.
The airport is nearly 200km South East of Abuja & Gwarinpa. Nigeria Airforce is using the airport.
According to the Chinese company Tongye group, the airport could serve as an alternate wing to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport. If in future, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is closed down for repairs or maintenance, Lafia airport would come in handy. Providing respite over Kaduna, Minna and Makurdi airports, respectively.
Daily Sun reports that the commissioner commissioned would open up new economic corridors. Ancillary businesses will spring up. It will aid in tackling insecurity, create employment opportunities, add a boost to revenue generation, and prompt utilisation of the Kwandere ultra-modern market.
On the skills acquisition centre, the governor said once it begins operations, thousands of young persons will learn high-level skills that would be valuable when industries become operational in the state. Such skills can be extended beyond the state.
Idleness, joblessness among other things that usher in insecurity will be minimised, hence would create wealth, tackles youth restiveness, unemployment and insecurity, he noted that it will not only benefit the youths of the state but Nigeria at large.
Other projects commissioned are the Lafia Bus Terminal, Central Bank of Nigeria CBN Lafia Branch, Kilima Road, and the Akurba sub-power station.