Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Facts on ABV
A new terminal was built by Julius Berger in 2000 and opened in 2002 to handle international flights, while the older existing terminal was repurposed for domestic traffic — both terminals share the airport's single runway.
Source: Wikipedia
The airport is named for Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904-1996), known as 'Zik of Africa,' who was Nigeria's first native governor-general and then its first president (1963-1966). Born in Zungeru to Igbo parents, he grew up speaking Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba and is widely regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism.
Source: Wikipedia
The airport's namesake, Nnamdi Azikiwe, studied journalism and political science in the United States at Storer College, Columbia, Penn and Howard before returning to West Africa in 1934 to work as a journalist and become one of the leading voices for African independence.
Source: Wikipedia
The runway had been built to last 20 years but was still in service after nearly 40 when Nigeria closed the airport for six weeks in 2017 for emergency resurfacing, diverting flights to Kaduna; it reopened on 17 April 2017, two days ahead of schedule.
Source: Wikipedia
President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned a new terminal building on 20 December 2018; the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria says it can process up to 15 million passengers a year.
Source: Wikipedia
The airport grounds also host the headquarters of Nigeria's Safety Investigation Bureau and Civil Aviation Authority, plus a private jet wing serving businesses, diplomats and politicians visiting the capital.
Source: Wikipedia
The airport sits at 1,123 feet elevation with a single 3,610-meter asphalt runway; in 2024 it handled about 5.48 million passengers, 77,909 aircraft movements and 9,130 metric tonnes of cargo.
Source: Wikipedia