TheCable

The federal government says it will prioritised optimal maintenance at the newly built terminal two of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, made this known on Monday while inspecting the facility in Lagos.

The minister and journalists were conducted round the project by Rabiu Yadudu, managing director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Speaking during the facility tour, Mohammed said the maintenance of the facility, as well as safety and security will be contracted to competent organisations.

“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,” Mohammed 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 noted that 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 Mohammed, 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).

“I must confess it was an exhilarating experience comparable to what obtains anywhere in the world,’’ he said.

Mohammed also said the terminal had the capacity to process 14 million passengers per annum.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in March, inaugurated the new terminal at the Lagos airport.

It is built on a landmass of approximately 56,000 square metres, and it has 66 check-in counters, five baggage collection carousels, 16 immigration desks at arrival, 28 immigration desks at departure. 

It also has two food courts, four premium lounges, 22 guest rooms and a spa, 16 airline ticketing offices, visa on arrival, port health facility, as well as a praying area, among others.