Nigerian president launches modernization of Niamey airport for 2019 AU summit

Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou on Thursday Niamey officially launched the modernization of the international airport Diori Hamani to meet international standards, in the perspective of the African Union summit that the country will host in July 2019.

This ceremony marks the beginning of the works to be executed by a Turkish company "SUMMA" under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract. The completion of the works is expected one month at the latest before this important continental event.

According to the Nigerian Minister of Transport, Mr. Karidio Mahamadou, the work concerns the construction and equipment of a new two passenger arogare. levels with escalators, fixed and lifts, the renovation of the old terminal, the renovation of the former arogare, the extension of the parking area and the construction of traffic lanes, the extension of the former track, the renovation of aeronautical shoes, the construction and equipment of a new presidential lodge.

The passenger terminal, the aircraft parking area, the taxiway connecting the various airstrips, the presidential and the ministerial and diplomatic fairs will be available at least one month before the conference, said Minister Karidio.

"This is possible," said the head of state, "because the company had to raise the samein Senegal, in Guinea, in Rwanda, and elsewhere. "

The cost of all the works is estimated at 154 million euros, or about 101 billion FCFA, which will be entirely financed by the SUMMA company. The Turkish company will be reimbursed for thirty years of operation of the infrastructure, according to the terms of the contract.

More than 4,000 guests including about fifty heads of state and government will stay in Niamey for more than a week. occasion of the event, according to the AU.

Also, "Niamey will be the capital of all Africa and therefore it is necessary that Niamey is beautiful, that Niamey is clean and that Niamey is equipped with infrastructures the height of the event, "said the Nigerian president.

In this perspective, in addition to the renovation and modernization of the international airport Diori Hamani Niamey, the head of state launched a few weeks ago , the construction of an "expressway" that will connect the airport to downtown Niamey. Next Friday, with the same company SUMMA, it will start the construction of a 5-star hotel in the city center, on the banks of the Niger River, by Mahamadou Issoufou.