Federal Government has said that the new International Airport Terminal in Lagos, Nigeria, reportedly worth $38 million, will be commissioned in 2021.
This was disclosed by one of the media aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, Tolu Ogunlesi, via his Twitter handle on Monday.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had earlier explained that the airport needed a revamp due to its poor state, which has outlived its usefulness. He further noted that the terminal was built to handle 250,000 at inception, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, but the passengers it handles have grown to 8 million in the past three years.
He said, “We require to spend $38m as palliative on the refurbishment of the international terminal in Lagos. This airport was built in 1979 and intended to carry just a little about 200,000 passengers annually, but it now does over eight million yearly. With the continuous over-use of its facilities, the amenities will not last for long.”
Sirika said that he government would need to close down the terminal, but pointed out this would not happen until the ongoing construction of the second international terminal was concluded.
According to him, “We want the new terminal to come on stream before we commence any work on the old terminal. As it is, we can’t close it totally because it is the only international terminal we have in the state, but a part of it would be shut once the new terminal come onboard.”
The airport will be featured with modern facility and due to the current number of usage, a permanent plumber will be deplored for the toilet facilities. Ongoing construction of the second international terminal would also be completed before the end of the year. The terminal, which is constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), commenced in 2013.
