FG okays new airport by Lagos govt in Lekki

The Lagos State Government officially received the Federal Government approval for the state to embark on the development of a passenger and cargo airport in the Lekki-Epe area.

The Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, presented the document to Govrnor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari at the ongoing Lagos Economic Summit (Ehingbeti) 2022 taking place at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island.

Lagos Government initiated the aviation project, through a Public Private Partnership, in response to the pace of development on the Lekki-Epe area, which is now a fast-growing hub of commerce and industrial activities.

The entire airport infrastructure will be sited on 3,500 hectares, with the first phase of the project estimated to cost $900m.

Some private consortia have already expressed their interest in developing the airport, but Lagos Government has yet to decide on which investors to partner for the aviation infrastructure.

Sanwo-Olu described the approval as another “successful step forward” towards delivering his administration’s agenda of Greater Lagos and keeping the state on the path of irreversible economic prosperity.

The governor said the development was a triumph for the vision of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who initiated the Lagos Economic Summit where the idea of the airport started.

He said, “Granting the licence for the airport project is a right step in the right direction. The real beneficiaries are the citizens and the businesses that will be using the infrastructure to activate more economic prosperity.

“The foundation of growth is building requisite infrastructure and creating platforms for businesses to thrive. This aviation infrastructure will reduce journey time and make commercial hubs in Lagos easily accessible. It would help investors to make best local and international business decisions, given all the investments that have been brought to the Lekki Free Trade Zone.”

Sirika said the federal mandate to Lagos Government on the airport project enjoyed accelerated approval, because of the growing need to further link Lagos and South-West to international markets and regional trade.

The project, the Aviation minister said, would transform the GDP of Lagos and create jobs for the national economy. He said the airport would complement the existing Murtala Muhammed International Airport whose operation is overstretched.

“There has been an expansion in Lagos, from Eko Atlantic City to Lekki Free Trade Zones. This growth necessitated the need for another airport in Lagos. We will deploy our statutory agencies to ensure the project is done in compliance with international standards,” Sirika said.

Declaring the two-day summit open, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos had begun its race to building a prosperous future with the introduction of a 30-year growth plan that would bring the State on the same pedestal with developed cities in 2052.

He said: “Over the next two days, we will listen to policy-makers, thought-leaders, futurists, disruptors, innovators, investors, and economists among others; all united by an abiding focus on the development trajectory of Lagos.

“They will share insights and offer perspectives on Lagos’ pathways to the future, most especially the solutions that can be readily implemented within the context of our unique circumstances. Indeed, the emphasis on ‘home-grown’ and localised solutions is very important.”