The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has officially commissioned the newly refurbished E-Wing departure terminal and four environmentally friendly CNG-powered air-conditioned buses at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The improvements are aimed at enhancing passenger mobility and comfort within the airport.
At the commissioning ceremony held at the E-Wing terminal, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, praised FAAN for its commitment to improving the airport experience for Nigerian travellers. He emphasized the government’s continuous efforts to enhance services and passenger facilities, despite financial constraints.
“This is part of a general plan by FAAN endorsed by the Ministry, to continue to remodel all of them in partnership with private entities within our limited resources to make them more user-friendly. What we are doing here today is the commissioning of the remodelled E-Wing departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport. You can see what they have done here, our concessionaires have done tremendously well, in partnership with UBA, we want to thank them so much, this is the outcome of the partnership, the new floor, a well-lit departure hall, the adverts everywhere. We are going to other wings of the airport, we are going to work on Wing-D,” Keyamo said.
The minister also reflected on recent efforts to improve the image and operations of the aviation sector.
“All thanks to the very hard work put in by FAAN. The dismantling of check-in tables is for the benefits of all Nigerians and the image of the agencies, that people normally lampoon over their conducts. But we are very deliberate about what we are doing. I must give credit to other agencies, they have stepped up their games, there is less harassment and more professionalism on their parts,” he noted.
Keyamo added that the Ministry had informed the National Security Adviser about ongoing measures to combat corruption at the airport, ensuring that these steps were taken with full endorsement. He urged collaboration between all relevant agencies to create a more secure and efficient travel environment.
“We have updated the National Security Adviser over the steps we have taken, those steps were not taken outside of his endorsement in the first place, the MD and myself had engaged him over the last few months before we took those steps. We have written to the NSA about the concrete steps we have taken now and for him to inform the agencies to cooperate with us so that we all as a nation will work hand in hand and hand a good gateway into the country,” Keyamo added.
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The minister also lauded FAAN’s initiative to introduce energy-efficient buses, supporting President Bola Tinubu’s push for sustainable practices and reducing the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
In her address, the Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to improving passenger experiences at Nigerian airports. She also unveiled plans for further infrastructure upgrades, including the modernization of cooling systems, new equipment, and additional developments slated for completion by 2025.
“I do want to say that our passenger traffic remains strong. But there may be some economic realities that are affecting global nations but within Nigeria, we are expanding our facilities and planning for the future hence the use of terminal two. We are using the terminal D right now, we are moving passengers in here to decongest and look at the arrival time and slot to make effective use of the capacity use of the terminal as well as the timing of flights arriving and landing,” Kuku stated.
She assured stakeholders that FAAN would continue to focus on enhancing both facilities and services at the airport to meet growing demand and ensure a high-quality travel experience.
Group Managing Director of UBA, Oliver Alawuba, also spoke at the event, reiterating the bank’s long-standing partnership with FAAN. UBA has been a key player in upgrading airport infrastructure for over two decades through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
“I think it’s a great day for us, we have been in this partnership for 22 years working with FAAN and improving the infrastructure. This is just an example of what Public Private Partnership can do. You have seen that the Minister is committed to improving the infrastructure and Government cannot do it alone, so the private sector has to come in and UBA clearly, is providing that support as needed at this time. This is just the first phase, we are also going to remodel the D. Departure,” Alawuba concluded.
The recent developments highlight FAAN’s dedication to modernizing Nigerian airports and ensuring that travelers enjoy world-class facilities and services.
