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[OPINION] Economic Insensitivity: The Arbitrary Spike In The Parking Rate At MM2

By Olutayo Irantiola
Recently, the parking rate at the Multi-Storey Car Park at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) and managed by Balosh, was arbitrarily increased. Overnight parking, which used to be six thousand naira (N6,000) only, was increased to fifty thousand naira (N50,000) only. What is the mathematical rationale for this type of increase?
In 2021, Balosh, the company managing the toll system within the airport, was engaged by the Lagos State Government and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), and it almost resorted into a crisis within the hospital premises because one would not be able to explain the rationale for having a patient in the hospital, and one would be charged for car park.
Nigerians are unable to commute by road, train, or even the waterways. Despite the rising cost of all modes of commuting, one is now confronted with an unjustified increase in airport parking rates.
With the rising cost of house rent cum accommodation in Lagos, people have moved to various suburbs of Lagos. When they have a reason to travel, the most cost-effective option is to get their vehicle to the airport, park it, travel to their destination, and return to their vehicle to get home within 3-4 days. When it was N6,000, everyone assumed that it was affordable and safe to keep their cars at the airport. Similar to what happens at the jetties and train station.
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The rising cost of JetA1 has been attributed to the rising cost of air ticket which is almost beyond the reach of an average Nigerian; the rising cost of PMS (Petrol) at this time when Iran and US war is ongoing has made people abandoned their cars while app hailing taxi services are ‘cutting’ people’s heads off while the regular airport taxi call unfriendly rates to the already overtaxed Nigerian that has not gotten an increase in salary despite the galloping inflation.
Further rationalising this increase, it seems that the airport authority is now competing with the airlines- if one can afford a N300,000 return ticket, then one can also afford a N150,000 for a three-day parking at the airport. This is not a fair deal for Nigerian travellers who are working hard to travel by air, given the imminent fear of what could go wrong on the road.
Can one liken the increase to a collaboration between the taxi unions and the airport to rip people off of their hard-earned money? What this means is that for anyone who cannot afford parking at the airport, you will be forced to use a taxi that is ‘seemingly’ above the law, which is in connivance with the private operator of the airport. The enforcement team at MM2 would never clamp taxis, but they aim at private vehicles that are forced to use the car park, regardless of how many minutes one wants to use at the airport.
Beyond the exorbitant rate introduced by the airport operator for the car park, they are also on the case of on-demand, multi-category delivery platform riders who pick up food items from restaurants within the airport. This wanton drive for revenue will kill more businesses than build a thriving economy.
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Beyond the few excuses given by the operators of the car park and the airport. Nigerians need organisations that are empathetic and can feel the pulse of the people. With the current rate, it means anyone without a driver cannot live a simple life of fueling his car at over a thousand naira per litre, drive to the airport, keep his car and return joyfully to Lagos with the intent of driving home. This is another way of destroying the middle class in Nigeria. If you engage a friend, sibling or acquaintance without a license to drive your car away from the airport, and such a person runs into the VIO or FRSC, the problem becomes complicated.
It is expedient for the airport operators to devise a strategy to identify actual travellers, which should be based solely on their boarding passes and means of identification. For those whose boarding passes and tally slips given at the car park entrance can be matched, they should be given a concession. They can deal decisively with other vehicles parked without justification. But making the car park rate unaffordable to the common man should not be allowed to stay.
There is no moral justification for overnight parking, let alone moving from 6,000 to 50,000! I will want to implore the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku and other government agencies to please look into the matter and reduce the hardship being experienced by Nigerian travellers who need to park at MM2.
Olutayo Irantiola is a PR Consultant and Public Affairs analyst based in Lagos, Nigeria.
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UNIMAID, Federal Polytechnic Matriculate 82 Degree Students
University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in affiliation with the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi has matriculated 82 students into the degree programmes across five courses.
Speaking during the matriculation ceremony at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi on Tuesday, Professor Muhammad Laminu Mele, the Vice chancellor, University of Maiduguri, charged the matriculated students to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations guiding the two institutions to enable them achieve the set objectives.
The VC, who was represented by Professor Muhammad Ahmad Waziri, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Services, warned that any student or group of students trying to breach the peace of the two institutions would face the full wrath of the law.
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The Don further assured that the University and its affiliated institutions would continue to make easy access to higher quality education to the teeming population across the country.
In a remark, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Alhaji Sani Usman, said they were affiliated with the university to pursue academic excellence, describing the affiliation as a huge pillar in the education reforms.
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The Rector, who was also represented by Dr. Dalhatu Saidu, the Deputy Rector of the Polymeric, commended the university of Maiduguri for not only improving the UNIMAID’s conducive learning environment but expanding the horizon to different higher institutions of learning across Nigeria.
He therefore advised the newly matriculated students to pursue knowledge, to interact freely with the Polytechnic staff, be vigilant and be a brother’s keeper, adding that this would help to achieve the desired objectives.
The affiliated courses included BSc Mass Communication, BSc Accountancy, BSc Public Administration, BSc Business Administration and BSc Banking and Finance respectively.
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Trouble Looms As Egbesu Group Drags FG To Court Over Resource Control, Others
Group known as Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has dragged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to a Federal High Court, Yenagoa, over failure to create additional 24 Local government councils in Bayelsa State as the need for Ijaw to control natural resources in its territory.
The Originating Summons marked: FHC/YNA/CS/63/2026 was filed on Tuesday April 21, 2026 by the plaintiffs including; Felix Tuodolo, Weri Digifa, Ebi Waribigha, Kabowei Akamade, Rosebella Jackson, Thomas Jacklloyd, Primrose Kpokposei, David Imole and Welman Warri at the Federal High Court Yenagoa.
Joined as defendants in the suit are the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Attorney General of the Federation.
In the court documents, the Egbesu Assembly premised their action on the alleged failure of the federal government particularly the National Assembly to deliberate, approve and amend the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
This, according to them, is to allow for resource control as well as the creation of additional LGAs in the state to fulfil the requirements in line with the Constitution.
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The group is therefore seeking, among others, the amendment of the constitution by the National Assembly to allow for the right to resource control.
The Supreme Egbesu Assembly described the suit action as a promise kept.
Mranwh, In a press statement announcing the institution of the lawsuit on Tuesday, the Egbesu Assembly recalled that, on 12th February 2026, it wrote to both the Federal Government and the National Assembly wherein its gave a 21-Day ultimatum for the duo to respond to the age-long demands for resource control and creation of additional LGAs or face a lawsuit.
The statement partly reads: “Recall that on 12th February 2026, we did inform you that we have written to the National Assembly and the federal government on the need for the creation of an additional 24 Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State as well as the control of our God-given natural resources in Ijaw territory.
“We promised that if the National Assembly and or federal government did not respond to these age-long demands, we were going to seek legal actions to address our demands.
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“We gave a time frame of twenty-one days for them to respond to us—we got no response!
“Today the Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has kept to its promise.
“We instituted an action at the Federal High Court Yenagoa against the National Assembly and the Federal Government after the expiration of the 21 days. Today we were in court for the first hearing of both cases.”
According to the group, creation of additional local government areas for Bayelsa is as old as the creation of the State itself.
The SEA maintained that “there is nowhere in any democracy where a state is limited to just 8 LGAs: more pathetic is the fact that Bayelsa State is an oil bearing State.
“Bayelsa State presently has twenty four Rural Development Authorities (RDA) which can be easily converted to Local Government areas thereby making the State eligible to participate in the sharing of allocation and the development of their areas for the purpose of justice and equity.
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“Gentlemen, we wish to inform you that our suit on Resource Control is a revival of our age long agitation.”
The group further stated that Nigeria can no longer operate a system where contributors to the national coffers are not in charge of their resources.
The group added that the lawsuit is therefore for the Ijaw people.
“The Ijaw Nation must be free from all economic strangulation carried out against them by successive Governments,” they added.
The SEA called on all Ijaws to be steadfast and resolute, and continue to support the process by attending all court sessions, stating that “your solidarity is very vital at this point of time in our history. “
The group also called on other Ijaw organizations, communities, Niger Delta people, organizations and all people of goodwill “to join in the march to control and manage our despoiled and mismanaged natural resources.”
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BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Wale Edun, Dangiwa As Ministers
President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council, removing the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, from their cabinet positions.
Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, said the development was contained in a memo signed by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
According to the memo, Taiwo Oyedele has been appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Also appointed is Dr. Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for Housing and Urban Development.
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The memo directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials.
It stated that all handing over and taking over activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026.
Explaining the decision, Akume said the changes were aimed at improving coordination and strengthening delivery across key sectors of the economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akume stated.
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He added that President Tinubu acted in line with his constitutional powers as provided under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The SGF also conveyed the President’s appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours, noting that the process of cabinet reinvigoration would remain continuous.
The statement further noted that Taiwo Oyedele was appointed as Minister of State for Finance in March 2026, while Edun was among the ministers appointed on August 16, 2023.
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