Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has defended the federal government’s ₦712 billion plan to renovate the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, assuring Nigerians that the massive project will be funded without recourse to loans.
Amidst growing public criticism over the scale and cost of the project, Keyamo explained in a detailed statement on Sunday that the overhaul is necessary to modernise the country’s busiest airport, meet international standards, and handle surging passenger traffic.
He clarified that the funding will come from the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, made possible by savings from fuel subsidy removal, not from foreign or local borrowing.
“To be clear, what we intend to do is to strip down the old Terminal One building—leaving only the carcass—then re-design and reconstruct it into a world-class, modern terminal that can accommodate increased traffic,” Keyamo wrote on his X account. “Both Wings D and E will be affected.”
He explained that Terminal One, commissioned in 1979, has suffered years of neglect and is now overstretched and dilapidated. In contrast, Terminal Two—started under President Jonathan, completed with a Chinese loan under Buhari, and made operational under Tinubu—is newer and will also see major expansion under the current plan.
Beyond the terminal upgrade, the minister outlined other infrastructure developments at the airport, including:
Expansion of Terminal Two and its aircraft apron to accommodate larger, wide-body aircraft
Construction of two independent ring roads (for departures and arrivals)
A bridge linking the road directly to the departure floor of Terminal Two
Introduction of smart technologies to transform the airport into a "smart facility" of global standard
Keyamo said the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) rigorously vetted and approved the project cost, adding that Nigerians will be proud of the outcome. He promised periodic facility tours for the media, civil society, lawmakers, and the public to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Let us all take interest in this national asset. And for context, I encourage people to research the cost of recent world-class airports. You’ll find that this project is reasonable by global standards,” he said.
Backing the minister’s stance, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Bola Tinubu, noted that the ₦712.3 billion (approximately $500 million) project compares modestly with international benchmarks.
In a post on his X handle, Ajayi pointed to the ongoing $19 billion overhaul of New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.
“At $500 million, the MMIA remodelling is modest, considering the scale of work involved,” Ajayi said.
He added that while Nigeria already has new terminals in Kano, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, they are significantly underutilised due to limited air traffic—making Lagos a priority for expansion.
The renovation was approved at last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Tinubu.
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