The Federal Government has formally announced the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

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According to the government, the airport would be shut down from 12:00 am on March 8, and would be closed for six weeks.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, at a world press conference in Abuja, Monday.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who was also at the conference said, government has kept to its word on making the Kaduna Airport ready for use as an alternative.

The Minister of State in charge of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, also said observations made by Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, who was in the Kaduna Airport on Friday, had been “taken care of”.

Sirika however, announced that some foreign airlines had agreed to divert their flights to the Kaduna Airport during the period, contrary to earlier concerns that were expressed by international flights about the safety of Kaduna.

He, however confirmed that so far, only one international airline has agreed to use the Kaduna Airport.

In his own remarks, the Inspector-General Of Police, Ibrahim Idris, assured airlines and passengers flying in and out of the Kaduna Airport of maximum security