Lekki Airport project to drive competition, says ASRTI

Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) has endorsed plan by the Lagos State government to build an airport in the Lekki axis, to cater for the surging population and businesses around the Lekki industrial layout.

The aviation think-tank group said the second airport in Lagos economic capital was strategic to complement and drive competition with the busiest Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja.

The Federal Government recently approved the construction of Lekki International Airport, at the Lekki-Epe axis of the state. Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, presented the approval on behalf of the Federal Government at the Lagos Economic Summit 2022.

Secretary of the ASRTI, Olumide Ohunayo, noted that despite prior promises and the potential, including extensive plans for the development of the area over the years, the project never took off and the Lekki corridor continued to expand, creating congestion, logistic and traffic chaos, impacting economic and business opportunities in the area.

However, “for the benefits to Lagos, we strongly advocate for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and need for the regulator, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Ministry of Aviation, to give the necessary support and approvals for this project.

“We are also calling on the relevant agencies and tiers of government, to as a matter of urgency, commence with the repair of the Cenotaphs erected to honour the fallen air passengers at Lisa, Epe and Ejigbo respectively. These sites serve as a memorial of the dark history of our industry and to honour our fallen citizens. Therefore, roads leading to these sites should be fixed for accessibility,” Ohunayo said.