40 years after, FG commissions new Lagos Airport terminal

• …as FAAN demolishes N5bn AIB building, others to expand new terminal 

40 years after the construction of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), the Federal Government has concluded plans to commission a new terminal on Tuesday, Daily Trust can report. 

Our correspondent reports that the premier international gateway in Nigeria, terminal was built in 1978 and was officially opened on March, 1979, 40 years after.

Since then, the facility designed for 200,000 passengers has not undergone any structural change and expansion despite the exponential growth in passengers.

The terminal currently handles over 6m passengers annually with more airlines now operating into the country.

Records from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) indicate that there are over 22 airlines including cargo carriers operating into the airport.

The Federal Government had taken a $500m Chinese loan to the construction of four new terminals since 2013.

Daily Trust reports that the new terminal which is to process over 15m passengers annually has beaten several deadlines fueling uncertainty over the completion date amidst plans to concession the airport alongside three others in Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt. 

The four airport terminals were constructed with the Loan with $100m counterpart by the Federal Government. The new terminals in Abuja and Port Harcourt have been completed while those of Lagos and Kano are still being awaited.

The coast became clear recently when the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) gsve a two-week ultimatum for some buildings within the precinct of the new terminal to relocate in order to expand the apron.

Among the buildings brought down was the regional headquarters of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) at the MMIA with over N5bn worth of investment going down the drain.

The building was until mid-2020 the headquarters of the bureau.

Apart from AIB, some other private companies and government agencies like Dominion, Evergreen Apple Nigeria, Caverton, ExecuJet hangars, the office complex of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the towing companies close to the AIB-N regional headquarters.

The demolished regional headquarters of AIB-N houses its office complex, Command & Control Centre, office of investigators and Information Communication Technology (ICT) department.

Others are Training Centre, Mini Flight Safety Laboratory, which is used for downloading of flight recorders otherwise known as black boxes and investigators’ stores among others.

Most of the facilities at the AIB-N’s office in Lagos were installed less than four years ago by the current management led by Engr. Akin Olateru, the Commissioner, AIB.

FAAN Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Faithful Hope-Ivbaze said arrangements have been concluded the commissioning of the new terminal by President Muhammadu Buhari.