Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, is the nation’s second busiest airport

NAIA was built in the early 2000 and opened in 2002. It holds a pride of place, among airports in the country, as the international airport for the country’s federal capital, Abuja.

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is an international airport serving Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving the Nigerian capital city.

The airport is approximately 20 km (12 mi) west of Abuja, and has an international and a domestic terminal that share its runway.

NAIA was built in the early 2000 and opened in 2002. It holds a pride of place, among airports in the country, as the international airport for the country’s federal capital, Abuja.

The airport named after the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, a foremost nationalist and one of the country’s founding fathers, often plays host to visiting dignitaries and high ranking government officials as well as Nigerians visiting the federal capital for business or leisure.

The airport has two terminals—one, for international flights and the other for domestic flights.

Plans by FAAN to build a second runway at this airport, in order to reduce the heavy air traffic on the airport’s single runway are at an advanced stage. A cargo section is also included in the design of the new state-of-the-art international terminal currently under construction at the airport.

About 3 million passengers travel through the airport every year

On January 4, 2017, Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council backed the Ministry of Aviation’s decision to close the airport for six weeks to enable repairs on the runway, which was said to be dysfunctional.

The Nigerian government also approved N1 billion for the conclusion of the Kaduna Airport terminal, which had been debated as an alternative for Abuja Airport. Several airport users, including the Nigerian Senate, opposed the planned closure.

It was believed that the closure of the airport would cause hardship for international and local air travelers alike.

On March 8, 2017, the Federal Airport Authority in Nigeria, stated that the airport will shut to commercial traffic for at least six weeks to bring needed repairs to the runway. On 18 April 2017, the airport was reopened following the completion of the project.

On 20 December 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned a new terminal building. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria says the newly completed terminal building can process up to 15 million passengers annually.