New Lagos airport terminal to complement old structure – Minister

The Federal Government says it will ensure optimal security and maintenance at the newly built terminal two of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Monday while inspecting the facility in Lagos, adding that the new structure will complement the old terminal.

Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Rabiu Yadudu, conducted the minister and journalists round the project.

Mohammed said the maintenance of the facility, as well as safety and security would be contracted to competent firms.

“I can assure you that the issue of maintenance, even up to the cleaning of the airport, has been taken up at a very serious level,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, we refused to compromise at the beginning when some people came and said we must give the maintenance to local companies.

“What is important in aviation is safety and security and we will ensure we give the maintenance to competent people, best known in the world.”

Mohammed said the new terminal was not built to replace the terminal one of the airport — but to complement it.

“That is why we were told that you could check in at one terminal and board at the other. So, there is a handshake between the two terminals,” he added.

“The terminal two project started in 2013 and was completed by the present administration in 2022 under a bilateral agreement with the People’s Republic of China.”

The minister also said over 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities had been created at the new terminal.

He said the structure, replicated in Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Enugu and Kano airports, is a testament to the achievements of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in infrastructure development.

According to him, the Buhari-led administration’s commitment to infrastructure development covering roads, bridges, rail, dams and sea ports; was unprecedented.

“No administration in the history of Nigeria has done this much, especially at a time of scarcity of resources,” he said.

He said the facilities and fittings in the airport offered a new experience, especially in terms of aesthetics, comfort, free trolley services, hotel and premium lounges, friendly customer services and free wireless fidelity (WiFi).