President Buhari promises more infrastructure development, inaugurates MMIA New terminal in Lagos
President Mohammadu Buhari has inaugurated the new built Murtala Mohammed International airport terminal in Lagos.
He said, with the delivery of the project, a new era of safety, security, and comfort had been ushered into the Nigerian aviation industry and would get better with the passage of time.
President Mohammudu Buhari while declaring the terminal opened assured that, his administration would continue to investment massively in infrastructure which would ultimately lead to job creation and enhance the socio-economic status of the country.
According to him, the new airport terminal would increase airport operations and management services to about 14 million passengers per annum, with the attendant positive multiplier effects.
“By creating about 3,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities for the youths, increased inflow of Foreign Direct Investments and exponential growth in the Gross Domestic Product”.
President Buhari stated that, as the approved Aviation roadmap was being implemented, the industry was experiencing unprecedented growth and pressure on the infrastructure and making business inefficient and if nothing was done, the growth would be stunted and all the opportunities lost.
He said, government was responding by further investments and partnerships in the sector to tend to this challenge and had directed the Minister of Aviation to fast track the airport concession programme and the Abuja second runway.
“The Minister of FB&NP has been directed to source special funding for the project while the MFCT is directed to conclude the titling of the approved 12,000 hectares of land to accommodate the runway and other developmental projects”.
In his address of welcome, the minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika assured the president that, the concession project had reached an advance stage including the newly opened terminals.
“The Ministry will be issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) to the shortlisted firms before the end of March. We expect to announce a partner in 2nd Quarter 2022 and handover by 4th Quarter 2022”.
During the event, the Ministry of Aviation and the Lagos State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, for the construction of a by-pass at the Alimosho local governments area near the airport to ease gridlock and facilitate seamless movement to the airport.
The state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said, the project would reduce travel time and vehicle cost.
“Phase one will entails the construction of a new 9km toll dual carriageway express road from Shasha road to the airport toll road with immense commercial and economic benefits on completion”.
China’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun commended President Buhari’s administration for the cooperation in the rapid delivery of projects embarked on in the country.
The newly inaugurated terminal has the capacity to process 14 million passengers per annum, 66 check-in counters, 5 baggage collection carousels, 16 Immigration Desks at Arrival and 28. Desks at Departure, 8 Security Screening Points, 6 passenger boarding bridges with remote boarding and arrival.
“Other facilities include 2Nos. food courts, 4Nos. premium lounges, 22 guest rooms and Spars, 16Nos, airline ticketing offices, visa on arrival and port health facility, praying areas, more than 3,000sqm duty free spaces and over 5,000sqm let-table utility spaces”.
