Lagos, Nigeria - Nigeria's Minister of Power Barth Nnaji has ordered an investigation into the blackout which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the capital city of Abuja on Thursday morning.

The private Nation newspaper Friday quoted a statement issued by the minister’s aide, Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe, as saying the minister was informed that an electric power failure occurred at airport, as a British Airways flight from London was about to land.

'Nnaji, being fully conscious of the implications of the incident for our national security and Nigeria’s international image, quickly ordered an investigation into the incident,' the statement said.

Another local newspaper, the Guardian, reported that the British Airways plane, which had among its passengers the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akin Adesina, had to wait some time for power to be restored to the airport before it landed.

Instances of airport blackout are common in Nigeria, which has a perennial electricity supply problem.

Pana 10/02/2012