Aviation Nigeria
Chinese construction giant, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, (CCECC) has pledged to deliver the four new International Airport terminals it will be constructing in Nigeria in record time of 20 months.
President of CCECC, Yuan Li who disclosed this when a High-Powered Delegation of Nigerian Government officials paid him a Courtesy/Facility Inspection Visit at the Corporate headquarters of the company in Beijing, said the quality of the work to be done at the airports will be of the highest international standard comparable to similar projects executed by the company in other parts of the world.
Yuan Li said the airport terminals’ construction remains a special project to the company, stressing that the company’s imprimatur of unrivaled excellence would be brought to bear in the building of the terminals in Nigeria.
Responding, Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah said she is eagerly looking forward to the signing of the agreement today and the completion of the projects in the next 18-20 months, adding that the desire to have the best for Nigerian airports informed the decision to work with a reputable, world class construction firm like CCECC.
The Minister said she has no iota of doubt in her mind on either the quality of job to be delivered by CCECC or the completion timelines since due diligence was conducted before the Federal government finally settled for CCECC.
When completed, the Minister said the Nigerian International airports would take their rightful place in the world aviation map, and boost Nigeria’s position as the natural hub for commercial aviation business on the African continent. The $500 million loan deal is for the construction of four, brand new International terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano.
Also speaking, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe expressed satisfaction that CCECC has been a very active firm in Nigeria, saying he would want to have the company in the East-West and the Oron-Calabar road projects.
He said with the President’s State Visit to China, a new chapter is being opened in the bilateral and economic relationship between the two countries, and expressed the hope that the four international airport projects would be completed in good time.
Speaking further, Yuan Li said CCECC is the biggest Chinese company doing business in Nigeria, with a local staff strength of about 20, 000 and an expatriate quota of 1000 Chinese citizens. He expressed gratitude to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the government of Nigeria for the support given to the company, adding that CCECC wants to establish a special friendship between Nigeria and China.
Responding to concerns raised by another member of the Nigerian delegation and Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar that CCECC needs to make a paradigm shift from being A Contractor to an Investor firm in Nigeria, Li said the company has already made that strategic decision and has started investing in Real Estate development. He added that the company intends to expand its investments in Nigeria to include manufacturing (cement), seaports, railways, Highways development, Steel, among st others.
Already, he said the company has finalized plans to incorporate a new firm-CCECC Industries Nigeria Ltd to to prosecute its investment agenda in Nigeria and help develop the industrial sub-sector of the economy, adding that going forward, the company intends to increase the number of indigenous Nigerian employees while reducing the expatriate quota to the barest minimum.
To accomplish this, he said the company has mapped out a scheme to grant scholarships to, and train Nigerian students in technical areas in Chinese Universities to make up for the manpower needs in critical areas like Railway Engineering and Management, amongst others.
He said CCECC also intends to set up a Joint Venture (JV) with the Nigerian government for the operation and maintenance of the railways, and would soon commence construction work for CCECC Plazas in Abuja and Lagos.
In his remarks, Works Minister, Mike Onolemehme said Nigeria and Nigerians were worried that CCECC was not investing in the country, adding that the assurances by Li that the company would begin to invest massively in Nigeria is heart-warming.
He said his Ministry is executing road projects worth over $2billion, with CCECC as a major contractor, and expressed the desire to see the company venture into real investments rather than pure contract execution.
Also speaking, Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma said President Jonathan is committed to moving Nigeria to the next level, adding that the National Assembly will give him all necessary support.
Also on the Courtesy Visit was the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Aviation Sector Reforms, Ms Anne Ene-Ita, Vice Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Ahmed Rufai Chanchangi, Representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Mr Clement Dosunmo, DG NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom and MD, NAMA, Mazi Nnamdi Udoh, among others.
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