The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has justified the federal government’s decision to commit N712 billion to the renovation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, describing the project as a necessary overhaul to modernise the country’s busiest airport and accommodate surging passenger traffic.

Keyamo provided a detailed breakdown of the plan in a statement posted on his verified X account on Sunday.

He explained that the project, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) a few days ago, will focus on the full rehabilitation and redesign of Terminal One—the older of the two international terminals in Lagos.

Keyamo noted that the terminal, built in 1979, has become structurally decrepit after decades of neglect and overwhelming use.

According to him, the facility will be stripped down to its structural carcass, including removal of the roof, before being redesigned and rebuilt to meet modern international standards. The work will affect both Wings D and E of the terminal.

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He added that the newer Terminal Two, completed with a Chinese loan and made operational during President Tinubu’s first month in office, will also be expanded. The expansion includes enlarging the apron to accommodate more aircraft, especially wide-body jets.

To ease vehicular movement in and out of the airport, Keyamo disclosed that two new independent ring roads will be constructed, one for arrivals and the other for departures alongside a new bridge that will lead directly to the upper floor of Terminal Two’s departure lounge. This, he said, will correct a design flaw that currently forces travellers to haul luggage up escalators.

The minister also revealed that the new designs incorporate smart technology features to transform the airport into a world-class facility capable of competing globally.

Keyamo emphasised that the entire project will be funded through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, established from savings made after the removal of fuel subsidies, with no loans involved.

He assured that as work progresses, journalists, civil society organisations, lawmakers, and other interested Nigerians will be invited on routine tours of the site to monitor progress and ensure transparency.

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In defending the cost, Keyamo urged Nigerians to compare similar modern airport projects around the world, including those in African countries like Angola, to appreciate the value of the investment. He added that the Bureau of Public Procurement scrutinised and approved the final cost.

The statement reads fully, “To further enunciate our plans for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMI) 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 & 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 govt. with a Chinese loan, completed during President Buhari’s govt (with the loan) & made operational during President Tinubu’s first one month in office.

“Due to years of neglect & because the traffic over time quadrupled beyond its capacity, the building & 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 & 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.

“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 up the escalators when we are departing. It is a design error we intend to correct.

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”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.

”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.

“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.

”And as a final word, it is important to tell Nigerians that we also have brand new Terminals in Kano, Abuja & Port-Harcourt. However, presently, they are all underutilised due to the traffic that is less than thirty percent 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.”