Keyamo Cancels Nigeria Air Project and Airport Concessioning Deals

Festus Keyamo, SAN, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has suspended the contentious Nigeria Air Project and airport concessions undertaken by President Muhammadu Buhari’s immediate predecessor.

According to reports, the Nigeria Air project and the concessioning of the Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt airports have caused so much controversy that experts in the aviation business have asked for their suspension, claiming they are of no benefit to the sector.

However, on his first visit and tour of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, the Aviation Minister stated that he has paused all planning and arrangements for the projected national carrier, Nigeria Air.

On the move of international airlines to the new Lagos terminal, Keyamo stated that the new Lagos terminal had been underutilized because it could not accommodate wide-bodied aircraft, and that the airlines would use the terminal while the government procured large buses to transport passengers.

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He also indicated that the old international terminal at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos will be closed down by October 1, 2023 for renovations, and that all private hangars such as Dominion Hangar, EAN Hangar, and others would be relocated to make space for the growth of the new terminal.
“The old terminal was the source of the majority of complaints.” For Nigerians passing through, that location is an eyesore. The lifts aren’t working. The hallway is uninviting, and there is no air conditioner. We have a new terminal, however it cannot be used. “It was not designed with large planes in mind,” Keyamo explained.