The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that the Muhammadu Buhari Airport in Maiduguri, Borno State, will officially commence international operations on January 1, 2025.
Keyamo confirmed that preparations for the airport’s upgrade have been finalised, and relevant government agencies have been informed of the impending launch.
He stated this during a visit to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.
The minister expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving the airport’s upgrade, noting that the North-East subregion is currently the only geopolitical zone in Nigeria without a fully operational international airport.
The establishment of an international airport in Maiduguri is strategic for accommodating international flights from the Middle East. It has the capacity, population, and infrastructure necessary to support an international airport,” Keyamo said.
Governor Zulum said the upgraded airport has the potential to drive economic growth and enhance connectivity throughout the subregion.
“As the chairman of the Northeast Governors’ Forum, I assure you of the political will needed to ensure the successful implementation of this significant initiative,” he affirmed.
Zulum was accompanied by several notable figures, including senators Mohammed Ali Ndume, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and Kaka Shehu Lawan, as well as Borno APC Chairman Hon. Bello Ayuba and Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly Engr Abdullahi Musa Askira, along with other senior government officials.
