The Federal Government announced on Monday that it has successfully secured commitments from various private sector entities and corporate organizations to promptly initiate the refurbishment of the arrival and departure areas of Wing D at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos State.
During an interview with Otega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Aviation and Space Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed this development.
Keyamo highlighted that although major infrastructure projects cannot be completed within a year due to substantial financial needs, one of the ministry’s immediate objectives is to collaborate with private enterprises to ensure the essential enhancements of airport facilities nationwide.
The Minister of Aviation also underscored that this renovation project will be conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs and will strive to replicate the same modernization achieved in the E Wing arrivals area by Shell.
Keyamo explained, “We have transformed the MMIA Wing E arrivals area.
“Shell made significant improvements there to capitalize on it. It now serves as a magnificent gateway into Nigeria.
“We are in discussions with one of the two corporate entities. They have just commenced operations on D Wing, servicing both departure and arrival areas.”
He further revealed that private companies will also be responsible for renovating the E wing departures area, adjacent to the D wing arrival and departure sections, at MMIA, Lagos.
Keyamo acknowledged that while the modernization of airport wings is a near-future endeavor, the ultimate goal is to completely reconstruct most airports throughout the country to bring them up to global standards.
In addition to the scheduled upgrades of airport facilities supported by the private sector, Keyamo emphasized the importance of enhancing the conduct of airport officials to elevate the overall passenger experience.
The Aviation Minister expressed that the behavior of officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), who oversee airports nationwide, is currently not up to par.
He mentioned an ongoing initiative aimed at transforming the mindset of these officials to be more customer-oriented and to ensure the provision of superior services to passengers.
