Buhari inaugurates new International terminal in Lagos Airport

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, would be inaugurating the newly built international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, today.

You would recall that prior to today’s inauguration, several dates had been set by the Federal Government for the terminal’s completion and inauguration since 2015.

The initial projection was that the airports would be completed in 18 months, but this was stalled due to financial issues and negotiations between the Federal Government and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

The new international terminal is one of the five terminals being built in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu, in a bilateral arrangement between the Federal Government and the People’s Republic of China.

In a statement issued by the acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, she said, the new Lagos International terminal built on a landmass of about 56,000sqm, having 66 check-in counters, has the capacity to process 14 million passengers per annum.

She added that, “Other facilities in the terminal include five baggage collection carousels, 16 immigration desks at arrival, 28 immigration desks at departure, eight security screening points and six-passenger boarding bridges, out of which two has already been installed.’

“It also has two food courts, four premium lounges, 22 guest rooms and spa, 16 airline ticketing offices, visa on arrival and port health facility, as well as praying area, more than 3,000 square metres of duty-free space, approximately 5,000 square metres of utility space, among others.

It was also stated that the new terminal was expected to generate about three thousand direct and indirect jobs, as well as enhance passenger facilitation and comfort at the Lagos airport.