New travel experience underway as construction goes up on new MMIA terminal facility
In an ambitious move to make the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos the desired hub for the West African sub-region, the Federal Government has started construction work on a new terminal as part of efforts to revamp the over 40-year old international airport into a world class facility.
Located just a few metres away from the international airport, the new terminal, which has reached 50 percent construction level, will be linked to the airport and, according to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), it will not only raise the bar for other upcoming airports in West Africa, but also offer passengers a whole new travel experience.
Financed through a special loan agreement between the government and the China Exim Bank, the construction of the terminal is also being replicated at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Akanu Ibiam International Airport,Enugu and Port Harcourt International Airport all at a total cost of $500 million.
“The new ultra modern terminal currently taking shape at the MMIA is clearly in line with the federal government’s agenda to transform the aviation sector by making the MMIA a regional hub,” Yakubu Dati, General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN told BusinessDay in an exclusive interview.
Dati explained that with the airport increasingly becoming over-stretched by growing passenger traffic, there was a need to upscale and expand the existing facility with the addition of modern terminal to enable it cope with the new pressure.
According to him, the new terminal will on delivery offer a new experience to travellers with the latest safety and security installations, conveyor belts and body scanners.
A visit to the construction site by our reporter revealed that the project is being executed in steady speed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), a Chinese construction firm.
Dati disclosed further that, as part of efforts by FAAN to effectively manage passenger traffic within the airport currently, the existing terminal has been expanded by about 25 percent from both the D and E fingers to create more space for in and out bound passengers, while equipment such as conveyor belts have been upgraded.
He however, noted that as a result of the ongoing construction and space constraint within the airport, some services such as the car park have been relocated some distance away from the airport, pointing out that these inconveniences should be considered by passengers as sacrifice for a new facility that can be benchmarked with the best in the world.
ODINAKA MBONU