The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has admitted that Nigeria’s airports remain far below international standards, even as he announced an upcoming comprehensive overhaul of the Old Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Keyamo made the disclosure on Sunday in response to a viral commendation tweet from UK-based Nigerian and public affairs commentator, Dipo Awojide, who praised the improved passenger experience at MMIA. Awojide described his latest travel through the Lagos airport as the smoothest in over 15 years, citing cleaner surroundings, faster baggage retrieval, and improved access from aircraft to parking areas.
“Aircraft to welcome area looks cleaner and the security area is well designed. My bag came out in 10 minutes. Exit to parking area is way better,” Awojide posted on X (formerly Twitter), tagging the minister.
While acknowledging the compliment, Keyamo offered a candid response: “Thank you, @OgbeniDipo for your compliments. But our airports are still far away from global standards, I must admit. We are just making the best of the situation as we found it.”
The minister explained that the Old MMIA terminal, built in 1977 to serve 200,000 passengers annually, now handles more than three million passengers a year—stretching facilities beyond their original limits. Nationally, he added, Nigeria’s airports are currently servicing around 15 million passengers each year.
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Keyamo reassured Nigerians that major upgrades are on the way. He revealed that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the federal government is set to undertake a complete reconstruction of the Old MMIA to modernize its operations and expand its annual capacity to 20 million passengers.
“Hence, over the years, the facilities almost collapsed! But thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are about to embark on a total rebuilding of the old MMIA in Lagos to meet modern standards,” Keyamo said.
He promised to unveil full details of the redevelopment plan in the coming weeks, describing the effort as a transformative step toward a globally competitive aviation sector.
The announcement has sparked anticipation among aviation stakeholders and frequent travelers, many of whom have long decried the condition of Nigeria’s key airports.