The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said the revitalisation of aviation infrastructure is one of President Bola Tinubu’s top priorities.

Speaking at the commissioning of the newly rehabilitated Hajj Terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Keyamo said that since the government came on board about three years ago, it has continued to intensify the upgrade of airports and passenger facilities across the country.

Keyamo maintained that the project was part of the aviation transformation agenda being pursued by the Tinubu administration.

According to him, the President had placed strong emphasis on modernising airport infrastructure from the inception of the administration to improve passenger experience and operational efficiency.

He explained that the upgraded Hajj Terminal was one of several infrastructure projects being executed nationwide to ensure Nigerian pilgrims enjoy seamless travel during annual pilgrimage operations.

The minister commended the Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, and the Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, for driving the infrastructure renewal programme.

He added: “This is not only in Lagos; we are going to Kano next week and other parts of the country. We are doing the same thing across the country, and kudos to FAAN management, led by Mrs Olubunmi Kuku and her team of directors, for these achievements.

“We will keep supporting; we will keep directing them; we will keep piloting the affairs of this sector to ensure that the dreams of the President come to fruition.”

Speaking on the project, Kuku said the renovated terminal was designed to improve passenger comfort and operational efficiency during hajj operations.

She disclosed that the terminal processed between 8,500 and 10,000 pilgrims during the last hajj exercise, compared to about 5,000 passengers in previous years.

According to her, the facility, which had previously been dilapidated, has now been transformed into a modern passenger terminal with improved amenities.

She listed the new features to include a redesigned waiting area, functional cooling systems, immigration and customs processing facilities, modern check-in counters, baggage handling areas, prayer mosques for male and female pilgrims, VIP and VVIP lounges with en-suite rooms, sleeping areas, showers, lounge spaces and kitchenettes.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the FAAN Board, Abdullahi Ganduje, lauded the ministry and FAAN management for implementing the Federal Government’s infrastructure renewal agenda.

He noted that while formulating policies was relatively easy, effective implementation remained the real challenge.

Besides, FAAN has unveiled its 2025 bylaws, marking the first comprehensive review of the Authority’s regulatory framework in 21 years.

The new bylaws were launched by Ganduje, who commended the management for successfully reviewing the legal framework to reflect current realities in the aviation industry.

Kuku said the previous bylaws, which were last reviewed in 2005, had become obsolete and were no longer effective in addressing the demands of the modern aviation environment.

She explained that the 2025 bylaws were developed in line with current aviation realities and FAAN’s evolving operational framework to ensure the authority remained responsive to emerging challenges and global best practices.