Kuku defends N712bn Lagos airport rebuild project

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, stated that Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is not only obsolete but also an infrastructure that has outlived its lifespan.

She hinted that the facility that was built 50 years ago had not undergone rehabilitation ever since it was constructed.

Kuku further stated that a lot of the airports that she visited around the world have to make such improvements over time, while Nigeria waited for 50 years to make such an investment.

Speaking during a television interview, Kuku carpeted critics opposed to the N712-24 billion approved for the project by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), saying that oppositions to the project cannot continue to describe the airports as substandard while criticising a comprehensive airport upgrade.

“You can’t stay in one place and say the airports are in shambles, and then after four years you come back and ask what did you do while you were there. The same critics are at the forefront today, saying airports are a mess. So, the question is: do we fix it now or continue to postpone?”

“Murtala Mohammed is an airport that was built almost 50 years ago with no major rehabilitation. A lot of the airports that we visit globally continue to make such improvements over time. They don’t wait 50 years to make such an investment,” she said.

She stated that every stage of the airport upgrade was transparent, adding that the ₦712.24 billion airport upgrade approved for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) rehabilitation followed a full tender process, reviewed by the Bureau of Public Procurement and ratified by the FEC, backed by verified data and is publicly available for scrutiny.

“Do you think that such a project will be passed without going through a full tender process? No, it wouldn’t and definitely not under my watch. We did go through a full tender process where it was reviewed by the BPP; it went through the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and of course, the facts are there, the data is there, it’s public information for anyone who’s looking for it,” Kuku said.

She assured that FAAN is committed to accountability by making procurement documents and project milestones available for public access.

 “We’re working for the public. At the end of the day, we need to justify, we need to be accountable, and we need to be transparent about our actions. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, then we should make the information available,” she added.       

The FAAN czar noted that the airport upgrade is not limited to surface works but includes a full revamp of Terminal 1, modernisation of facilities, expansion of the apron, and construction of a brand-new transit facility.

Nigeria currently has no transit system, which prevents connecting passengers from transferring seamlessly.

“Today, there is no single transit activity that happens within the Nigerian airport. If we’re talking about improving our passenger traffic, it has to be done through transit passengers. How do we do that without the right infrastructure?” she queried.

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Kuku added that structural gaps at Terminal 2, where wide-bodied aircraft struggle to operate, would also be addressed. Expansion of the finger section, new road networks, and redesigned passenger flow systems are included in the ₦712.24 billion airport upgrade plan.

She added that rerouting of check-in procedures and scheduling adjustments had already begun in consultation with airlines.

According to Kuku,” the project goes beyond brick and mortar. It is about positioning Nigeria’s aviation for global competitiveness.”

“Our airports are the gateway to the nation. Every traveler that comes into Nigeria, whether a first-time visitor, a business traveler, or an investor, their very first experience is our airports. This airport upgrade project is about ensuring that experience reflects the image and aspirations of Nigeria,” she added.