FG to rebuild Lagos Airport terminal with ₦712bn saved from fuel subsidy — Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has defended the Federal Government’s controversial plan to demolish and rebuild Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at a cost of ₦712 billion.

According to him, the funding will come from savings made following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, Keyamo stressed that the terminal, commissioned in 1979, was now an embarrassment.

“The roof is leaking; the place is decrepit and smelly. People are selling Indomie; kiosks are everywhere. The ceilings are failing, and the carousels are obsolete,” he lamented.

While critics have called the move a misplaced priority amid worsening inflation, hunger, and hardship linked to economic reforms, the minister insisted the money is not from the annual budget but a special infrastructure fund under the “Renewed Hope” initiative.

“It is from the savings we are having now from the subsidy removal and the floating of the naira,” he stated.

Keyamo said the reconstruction, which will span 22 months, is vital to Nigeria’s global competitiveness in aviation.

“Without this, international airlines may threaten to stop flights to Nigeria. Poor terminals affect aircraft insurance because of safety risks,” he warned.

He also argued that Lagos has long failed to function as a regional hub due to poor terminal connectivity.

“You cannot land at the local terminal and seamlessly connect to the international one. That has stunted our aviation growth,” he said.

Describing the project as more than a renovation, Keyamo revealed: “We are tearing it down; only the pillars will remain. We are redesigning completely. Lagos must become a modern hub to rival Addis Ababa and Johannesburg.”