Presidency Defends ₦712bn Lagos Airport Renovation

The Presidency has defended the Federal Government’s decision to spend ₦712.3 billion on the remodeling and complete overhaul of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, describing the cost as modest when compared against global standards.

Temitope Ajayi, senior special assistant on Media and Publicity to President Bola Tinubu, made the comparison in a post on his X handle, pointing to the $19 billion renovation currently underway at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York.

“Anyone who has traveled through JFK Airport in New York in the last three years will see the extensive renovation work going on at the United States’ premier international airport,” Ajayi wrote. “JFK is being renovated at the cost of $19 billion.

“At the last Federal Executive Council meeting, the Federal Government approved the remodeling and complete makeover of MMIA at the cost of ₦712.3 billion. In dollar terms, it is around $500 million.

“This will be considered a modest cost by all standards and at the level and scale of work that will be executed.”

Ajayi’s statement comes amid public debate over the hefty price tag of the project, which was approved during last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Tinubu.

The Lagos airport upgrade — part of the administration’s broader “Renewed Hope Infrastructure Agenda” — is expected to include a full modernisation of the aging terminal, improved passenger experience, and upgraded safety and security infrastructure.