Cross River State Governor, Bassey Edet Otu, has appealed to the Governing Board Chairman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for collaboration towards the speedy upgrade and rehabilitation of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport ahead of the 6th African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network-Investment Conference (AfSNET), scheduled to hold in Calabar in November.
The Independent Mirror reports that the appeal was contained in a statement issued by Dr. Ganduje’s Chief of Staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba, on Thursday.
According to the statement, Governor Otu made the appeal on Wednesday in Calabar when Dr. Ganduje led members of the FAAN Governing Board on a courtesy visit to the Governor.
Ganduje and his team were in Calabar to inspect ongoing upgrade and rehabilitation works at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport.
The FAAN Governing Board Chairman was accompanied by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, as well as members of the FAAN Board and management.
Governor Otu reiterated the need to improve and upgrade the airport’s facilities in a timely manner to restore and enhance the capacity of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport ahead of AfSNET 2026.
Responding, Ganduje assured the Governor that the FAAN Governing Board had put measures in place to ensure that the ongoing upgrade of the airport was completed within the stipulated timeframe.
“That is why we are here. We are ready to collaborate with you. We are inspecting facilities at the airport so as to ensure their quality.
“We also want to assure you that the ongoing work at the airport will be completed within the stipulated time,” Ganduje said.
The Margaret Ekpo International Airport is undergoing several upgrades, including runway rehabilitation, the installation of a new 500KVA solar power system and improvements to the terminal, among other modern facility installations.
The visit, according to the statement, reaffirmed FAAN’s commitment to stronger partnerships, sustainable infrastructure development and an improved passenger experience across Nigeria’s airports.
The 6th AfSNET Investment Conference, organised under the African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network, is expected to bring together leading sub-sovereign governments, financial institutions, investors, businesses and development partners to unlock trade opportunities, mobilise investment and accelerate sustainable economic growth.
The conference is an initiative of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and is being hosted by the Cross River State Government in partnership with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The three-day conference in Calabar will focus on how states, provinces, regions and other sub-sovereign governments can mobilise investment, accelerate industrialisation, develop bankable infrastructure projects, build stronger regional value chains and advance their development ambitions through trade and investment.
