The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has explained that the Federal Government’s decision to spend N712 billion on the renovation of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos is driven by the urgent need to replace decaying infrastructure, expand capacity, and bring the nation’s busiest airport in line with modern global standards.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, gave this explanation in a statement issued on Sunday, following the Federal Executive Council’s recent approval of the transformation project.
PUNCH Online reports that after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Monday, the FG approved airport projects worth N919.10bn in total.
He described the package as “massive infrastructural upgrades” across key gateways, especially the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. https://punchng.com/fec-fg-approves-n3-5tn-for-roads-airports-others/
He explained that MMIA, International Terminal 1 will be stripped to the carcass and fully rebuilt, with all mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems replaced—an award to CCECC that also covers Terminal 2 works (apron expansion, access roads, bridges and associated infrastructure).
However, justifying the huge amounts earmarked for these projects, the minister explained, “To further enunciate our plans for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, let me further clarify the approval we secured from the Federal Executive Council Meeting last week.
“There are two international terminals in Lagos. Terminal One is that old building directly facing the long stretch of road leading to the airport, built and commissioned in 1979 by the Obasanjo-led military regime. It has two wings known as Wing D and Wing E. Terminal Two is the new building on the right-hand side as you drive into the airport, started by President Jonathan’s government with a Chinese loan, completed during President Buhari’s government (with the loan), and made operational during President Tinubu’s first one month in office,” the statement partly read.
Keyamo noted that Terminal One has fallen into a state of disrepair, becoming unfit for modern aviation demands.
He noted, “Due to years of neglect and because the traffic over time quadrupled beyond its capacity, the building and facilities at Terminal One became totally decrepit. We have been engaged in some patch jobs over the years just to make it a bit presentable.
“Now, shorn of all the rhetoric, what we simply want to do is to totally strip down that building, including the entire roof (leaving only the carcass), then re-design/reconfigure it and build a brand-new airport for the nation to meet modern, international standards that can also cater for the increased traffic. Both Wings D and E would be affected.”
On Terminal Two, he revealed plans for expansion and correction of long-standing design flaws that inconvenience travellers.
“As for the new Terminal (Two), we got approval to expand the building and the apron (where aircraft park for boarding and disembarkation) in order to accommodate more aircraft, including wide-body aircraft. That is not all; we are constructing two new independent ring roads in and out of the airport (one for departure and one for arrival) and a bridge that will take travellers directly to the upper floor of Terminal Two departure lounge, instead of lifting our luggage the escalators when we are departing. It is a design error we intend to correct”, Keyamo explained.
He also highlighted the integration of advanced technology into the redesigned airport, aimed at bringing it up to global standards.
The minister stressed that the initiative will be funded entirely through domestic resources.
“We have also introduced smart solutions to the new designs in order to deliver a smart airport to Nigerians that can compete with any airport in the world. In all, Nigerians will be proud of what we are going to deliver. And take note, this will not be done by a loan from anywhere, but by the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, which is one of the gains made from the removal of subsidies.”
To ensure public accountability, Keyamo said stakeholders will be invited to monitor the progress of the project when it begins.
“As the work progresses, we will be inviting the press, civil society groups, members of the National Assembly and interested Nigerians on regular tours of the facility to monitor the extent and quality of work. It is part of our national heritage and we should all rightly be interested in the final outcome”, he noted.
He also urged the public to make global comparisons in airport project costs for better perspective.
“I will also encourage our compatriots to simply google the cost of most modern airports built around the world in the last few years (including those in Africa like Angola, etc.) and you will agree with me that the Bureau for Public Procurement that scrutinised and fixed the final cost of this project did a fantastic job for the nation”, the minister noted.
In conclusion, Keyamo pointed to underused facilities in other cities and invited Nigerians to watch a video presentation of the proposed revamp.
“And as a final word, it is important to tell Nigerians that we also have brand-new terminals in Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt. However, presently, they are all underutilised due to the traffic that is less than thirty per cent of their capacities.
“For further explanation and transparency, we have produced a video (which I attach hereunder) that graphically explains the proposed works upon which we are embarking. I hope you find it useful,” the statement concluded.
