The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has thrown light on federal government’s plan for the infrastructural transformation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos with the building of new state-of-the-art terminal, security and perimeter fencing and installation of advanced security system.
The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace development has already secured approval for the funding of this major airport project, which is slated to be completed in the next two years.
Keyamo gave details and clarifications on the approval of funding from the Federal Executive Council and the projects that would be executed in the new development programme, which include the total demolition and rebuilding of the oldest international terminal (Terminal One) at the airport.
“There are two international terminals in Lagos. Terminal One, is that old building directly facing the long stretch of road leading to the airport. It was 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.
“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.
The Minister said that the new terminal (Terminal Two) will also be worked on. Keyamo said that government has approved 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 up the escalators when we are departing. It is a design error we intend to correct,” he explained.
According to him, the administration has 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.
“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 said.
He encouraged Nigerians to 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”.
“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 percent of their capacities,” Keyamo disclosed.
THISDAY learnt that based on the current rates (1USD=1594 NGN), N712 billion (which is the project cost) equals $447 million.
The Minister remarked that by international standards, this amount is reasonable for renovating Terminal one, expanding Terminal Two, and adding road and ramp infrastructure.
THISDAY also learnt that Angola’s new airport cost about $3.85 billion, Cambodia, $1.5 billion; with this comparison, the Minister said Nigeria’s project is cost effective, especially as it is being funded domestically without loans.
