We are working on $464m trapped airlines’ funds – FG

The Federal Government has said it is working hard to clear the $464m blocked funds belonging to foreign airlines.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this during a tour of the new terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

The terminal which was unveiled in March 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari is one one of the four terminals built with a concessionary loan from the China Exim Bank.

While the new terminal in Port Harcourt and Abuja have been commissioned, only that of Kano is awaiting commissioning.

The terminal, he stated, has state-of-the art facilities and fittings with the capacity to process 14 million passengers per annum, adding, “It has 60 check-in counters, five Baggage Claim Belts, 16 departure desks and 28 arrival desks.”

Visiting at a time the industry was facing challenges with foreign airlines unable to repatriate their funds and they are threatening suspension of flights to Nigeria, the Minister assured that relevant authorities are working hard to clear the funds.

“On the trapped funds, I can tell you that the relevant authorities are working hard on that issue,” he said.

The Minister assured that gradually the new terminal would be busy as the old one as the authorities continue to test-run all the facilities.

He said, “I was here 40 years ago when the first terminal was commissioned. There is a time between the commissioning of an airport and when the airport becomes operational. You know aviation is unforgiving of any mistake.

“So we need to test-run and be extremely certain that every piece of equipment is working optimally. The beauty of it is that this airport has become operational.

“You can come in here and continue to various parts of the world. When the old airport was commissioned, it took quite a while for it to become operational.

“The new international terminal is not to replace the old one but to complement it. It is gradually, and very soon this airport will be very busy. You can see that terminals are not used only by airlines. We have restaurant operators, banks, foreign exchange operators and you have to screen people over and over again before it becomes operational.”