All weather forecasting equipment belonging to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) was destroyed in the fire that engulfed the old terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Monday.

The Federal Government has also reiterated plans to demolish the structure following the incident.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, disclosed this yesterday during an inspection of the damaged terminal in Lagos.

The fire, which broke out around 3:30 p.m., did not claim any lives. However, six persons sustained serious injuries, while at least 12 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) and other airport users were temporarily trapped before being rescued.

Keyamo said NiMet’s operational offices and weather monitoring equipment located on the upper floors of the building were completely destroyed. He added that the full extent of the damage had yet to be determined as some parts of the structure remained unsafe.

He, however, assured airlines and passengers that contingency measures had been activated to prevent disruption to flight operations. According to him, alternative weather stations within NiMet’s nationwide network would support operations in Lagos pending the replacement of the damaged equipment.

He said: “Our NiMet equipment and offices where weather readings are carried out are totally gone.

“We have other stations that can provide weather readings. Temporary arrangements will be made while we implement the grand plan to replace the damaged equipment.”

The minister noted that the incident would accelerate evacuation from the building and the commencement of full reconstruction works, which had already been scheduled.

The terminal had been earmarked for reconstruction within 22 months, beginning in August 2025.

Keyamo confirmed that some airport personnel, including ATCs, were briefly trapped and rescued, but no lives were lost. He added that four of the injured persons were in stable condition.

He commended emergency responders, including the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Police and officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), for their prompt response, which prevented the fire from spreading to other critical facilities.