The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has officially designated the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna, as the alternative airport to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The announcement was made during the formal inauguration of Overland Airways’ new flight operations at the Minna airport.
Speaking at the landmark event, Minister Keyamo highlighted the strategic importance and operational readiness of the airport. “This is an international runway capable of handling aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and the Triple Seven. It is surprising this facility has remained underutilized for so long. By the authority vested in me, I hereby declare Minna Airport as the designated alternative to Abuja Airport. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should take note,” he stated.
The occasion also witnessed the presence of top government officials and industry stakeholders, including the Director General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo; FAAN’s Director of Human Resources, Dr. Emiola Olatunbosun Luqman; and the Registrar of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), Dr. Mustapha Sheikh Abdullahi.
Dignitaries at the event included the Honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; and the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, represented by Rt. Hon. Abubakar Yahaya Kusada, alongside former governors of Niger State.
In his address, Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, commended Governor Umar Bago for his visionary leadership, describing him as the “new architect of Niger State.”
Overland Airways’ Managing Director, Capt. Edward Boyo, also praised Governor Bago’s efforts and announced the deployment of a brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft to the Minna route. The service will initially operate three weekly flights connecting Minna to Lagos and Abuja, with plans to extend connectivity to international destinations through interline partnerships.
“Let it be recorded in history that Governor Bago has brought the seaport to Minna through this aviation initiative,” Capt. Boyo remarked.
The inauguration of Overland Airways’ operations at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport marks a pivotal development in the revitalization of regional aviation and economic growth in Nigeria’s North Central region. The move positions Minna as a strategic aviation hub within the nation’s expanding air transport network.
