Keyamo revealed that the federal government was investing over N500 billion in the expansion and construction of a state-of-the-art international terminal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMIA), Lagos; and construction of a second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at the cost of about N400 billion.
He also said the Lagos airport would soon be linked with a rail service that will connect it to the city for easy movement of air travellers. The minister revealed the developments yesterday in his speech as special guest of honour during the historic celebration of 67 years of Aero Contractors, Nigeria’s first airline, at the Lagos airport.
Recalling past controversies surrounding the Abuja second runway project, Keyamo stated that the National Assembly initially stalled the project about 16 years ago, when the cost of the project was slated at N63.5 billion, but today, that delay had inflated the cost to nearly N400 billion.
In April 2010, the House Committee on Aviation threw out the budget for the second runway at Abuja airport, insisting that the cost was extravagant and outrageous, he said.
Keyamo stated, “Sixteen years later, it’s now costing us nearly 400 billion. That is the danger in delaying the building of infrastructure because the prices will go up every day.” He explained that past administrations struggled to fund infrastructure because there was no money to fund such capital-intensive facilities.