The Nigerian government’s plan to remodel airports has raised concerns among experts, who believe that the process is mere window dressing.

Group Captain John Ojikutu, a former Airport Chief Security Officer and airport security expert, expressed reservations about the project, citing the long-standing problems at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), as albatross.

“The first thing to ask FAAN authority and the responsible government authorities for public properties is to show us the official survey plans for the MMIA Ikeja,” Ojikutu said.

He continued: “You can never get it (the survey plan) because more than half of the land has been compromised to private ownership and that is why I have repeatedly said that Lagos Airport is in the middle of uncontrolled urban development and complicated major road networks.”

Ojikutu emphasized that the airport’s security fence is a major concern, as it does not meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 17.

“Without solving the problem of the airport perimeter fence and the security fence, FAAN and the MMA will remain in default of the provisions of Annex 17 Documents 8973,” he stated.

Ojikutu also highlighted the issue of unruly passengers and the fear of homegrown terrorists becoming moles.

“What K1 (Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde) did at MMA the last time he misbehaved unlawfully on a moving aircraft was nothing different from being an unlawful act to civil aviation, a criminal offence,” he said.

He stressed further that: “Very unfortunately, the responsible authorities demonstrated to the global regulatory authority that he deserved to be rewarded or awarded a national honour as the president did. It was criminal.”

Buttressing, Dr. Oluropo Owolabi, former Managing Director of Skypower Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and cargo handling icon,, shared similar concerns.

“I’m unhappy about our Lagos airport and the way the remodeling thing is being handled,” he said, stressing: “To me, this is just a hish hush arrangement to score undue points. To remodel an airport is not what you do in a hurry. A lot of planning, visibility studies, works come to play to ensure the comfort of passengers which is the key motive for setting up an airport.”

Owolabi cited examples of airports that have undergone successful remodeling projects, such as LaGuardia Airport in New York, which took six to eight years to complete.

“The LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York that recently undergone a complete remodeling, is an example,” he said. “The project began in 2016 and was essentially finished by 2024, taking roughly 8 years.”

The experts’ concerns highlight the need for a more comprehensive approach to airport remodeling, one that prioritizes passenger comfort, security, and safety.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has approved a major redevelopment project for the Lagos International Airport, with an estimated 22-month timeframe.

However, the experts’ reservations suggest that more needs to be done to address the airport’s underlying problems.

According to Owolabi, planning a remodeling of the Lagos airport could take a year, identifying loopholes and devising foolproof means to tackle the problems once and for all before setting to work, which would also take some years.

“I’m not happy with the situation at the airport today. I entered the industry in 1976 and I know what it used to be then. We travel abroad and we see the trend; what modern airports look like today. To engage in a hurried remodeling at this time and age is not worth being encouraged.

“What plans do they have for passengers comfort during the remodeling period? How do they think the new terminal they plan to move to, would satisfy the needs of passengers? How do we take care of Nigerians doing businesses in the old MMIA and others providing services for the comfort of passengers?” Owolabi querried.

He encouraged government to ensure a thorough job, noting that such could only happen when the original template and survey plan of the airport is secured to actually arrive at its expansion plan from conception.

“The Lagos airport is modeled after Schipol Airport in Germany and anybody visiting the latter today can see the wide gap in difference,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)

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