Besides the design flaw that provided inadequate parking space for operating aircraft, new findings have shown more defects in the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) new terminal in Lagos.
Specifically, the $100 million worth of facility has some substandard equipment that have broken down in less than two years of operation, coupled with inadequate entry and exit channels.
It will be recalled that the ‘state-of-the-art facility’ was in March 2022 officially opened by the then President Muhammadu Buhari, as a “befitting replacement” for the old MMIA terminal.
Almost two years after, the new facility has remained largely deserted, and grossly underutilised largely due to aircraft parking space constraints.
A recent order by the new Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, that mandated all foreign airlines to relocate into the new terminal only created operational chaos and massive disruptions of international flights on the Lagos route.
Investigation by the Task Force Committee that was set up to probe the chaotic episode affirmed earlier concerns of operators about the inadequacy of the terminal to facilitate passenger services of multiple airlines at the peak period.
In its findings, recently submitted to the Minister of Aviation, the committee noted that the “hasty” relocation of about 20 airlines into the terminal “compounded the challenges that have been existing since operations in April 2022.”
It added, among other findings, that some equipment installed in the terminal did not meet the international standard equipment for international airports.
Also, “there are no adequate entrances and exits to meet international standard requirements, which could be disastrous.”
The new terminal is one of the five international terminals conceived under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and $500 million loan deal between Nigeria and China in 2013.
As part of the arrangement, China was to make available the sum of $400 million at a 2.5 per cent interest rate, while the Nigerian government was to pay a counterpart fee of $100 million for the project that was meant to run between 12 to 18 months.
Receiving the report, Keyamo rationalised his blunder of forced relocation, blaming it on the fire incident of September 6, 2023.
While assuring the task force of the implementation of the recommendation as soon as possible, he directed that a meeting be held with the contractors handling the airport on issues of substandard equipment and the possibility of opening up other entry points into the airport, including the expansion of their work schedule which is part of the PPP agreement.
