Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has appealed to the Governing Board Chairman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to support the speedy rehabilitation and upgrade of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar.
The Governor made the appeal on Wednesday in Calabar when Dr. Ganduje led members of the FAAN Governing Board and management on a courtesy visit to the state.
The visit was also aimed at inspecting ongoing rehabilitation and upgrade works at the airport ahead of the sixth African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference, AfSNET 2026, scheduled to hold in Calabar in November.
In a statement by Dr. Ganduje’s Chief of Staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba, Governor Otu stressed the need for timely completion of the airport’s upgrade to strengthen its capacity to accommodate participants expected at the international investment conference.
The Governor said improved airport infrastructure would also boost Cross River’s tourism, investment and economic development prospects.
Responding, the FAAN Governing Board Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, assured the Governor that the Authority had put measures in place to ensure that the ongoing rehabilitation works were completed within the stipulated timeframe.
Dr. Ganduje said the purpose of the inspection was to assess the quality of work being carried out and ensure that the facilities meet the required standards.
He said FAAN was ready to collaborate with the Cross River State Government to ensure the successful completion of the project.
The FAAN delegation included the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, alongside members of the Governing Board and management.
The ongoing upgrade at Margaret Ekpo International Airport includes runway rehabilitation, installation of a new 500KVA solar power system and improvements to the terminal, among other modern infrastructure.
The inspection underscores FAAN’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with stakeholders, improving airport infrastructure and enhancing passenger experience across the country.
The sixth AfSNET Investment 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 bring together sub-sovereign governments, financial institutions, investors, businesses and development partners from across Africa.
It will focus on mobilising investment, accelerating industrialisation, developing bankable infrastructure projects, strengthening regional value chains and promoting trade-driven economic growth.