The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is pursuing a series of infrastructure upgrades at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, including a major overhaul of Terminal 1, runway rehabilitation at key airports and plans to connect the airport to the Lagos Mass Transit Red Line.
FAAN Managing Director and Chief Executive, Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, outlined the projects while speaking at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, Portugal, where she discussed the challenges of maintaining airport infrastructure across Nigeria’s network.
She said Terminal 1 at MMIA was undergoing a comprehensive overhaul, its first major infrastructure upgrade since it was built. The project is focused on improving passenger flow and operational efficiency rather than expanding the terminal’s physical footprint.
The work includes changing the layout of immigration and customs areas, reviewing the arrangement of service counters and introducing modern technology to make passenger processing more efficient.
Lagos is particularly important to FAAN’s investment plans because it accounts for about 68 per cent of Nigeria’s airport traffic. Abuja handles approximately three million passengers, while Lagos, Abuja and Kano together account for about 80 per cent of national airport traffic.
Onabanjo-Kuku said the concentration of passenger traffic at the three airports did not remove the need to maintain infrastructure across the rest of the network. FAAN must also support other airports while directing resources towards facilities essential for safety and reliable operations.
She identified safety as a major consideration in the authority’s investment decisions, noting that airside infrastructure was particularly important for maintaining basic airport operations.
Over the past three years, FAAN has focused on rehabilitating major airports, including Nigeria’s six international gateways in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu and Maiduguri. Projects include runway rehabilitation, resurfacing of runway extensions where required and the installation of improved airfield lighting systems.
The authority is also working with the Federal Government and Lagos State Government to advance the proposed extension of the Red Line rail service to MMIA. Onabanjo-Kuku said discussions were under way to complete the financing structure for the project.
The proposed connection is expected to improve access between the city and the airport, with planned stops serving the airport’s terminals and cargo facilities. The project is intended to link the airport more closely to Lagos’ urban transport network.
The initiatives form part of FAAN’s wider effort to improve airport facilities while balancing the needs of high-traffic gateways with infrastructure requirements across the country. Onabanjo-Kuku said investment decisions must take account of safety, operational efficiency, passenger experience and the economic role of air transport.
The outcome of the projects will depend on the delivery of the terminal works, continued rehabilitation of essential airfield facilities and progress on financing and implementing the proposed rail connection.
