Lagos Airport Fire Destroyed NiMet Equipment, Terminal 1 To Be Demolished – Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Tuesday announced the demolition of Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following the fire outbreak that ravaged the facility on Monday.

The Minister also disclosed that several pieces of equipment from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) were destroyed by the fire.

The Minister disclosed this after inspecting the extent of damage to the terminal building at MMIA caused by the inferno.

He stated that a temporary terminal, from which the few airlines operating from the affected facility will resume services, is already at an advanced stage of completion.

Keyamo confirmed that the fire was successfully contained and that no lives were lost.

He added that the victims who were hospitalised are responding positively to treatment at a health facility in Lagos.

“I won’t say fortunately because there is nothing fortunate about fire. So, even though we are trying to pull down this old terminal, there was certain equipment that we also needed to retrieve.”

“It is still not safe to go to the 5th, the 6th and the 7th floor. Our NIMET equipment and office are totally gone. Our air traffic controllers were trapped up there yesterday. Many of them had to be rescued by crane.

“So, some of our equipment is damaged. We just want to thank God that there was no single loss of life. That is the first gratitude we have to God. But work will start in earnest to start clearing the rubble. And then, of course, it will hasten our process of reconstruction,” the minister said

Temporary arrangements have been established for air traffic control, including the deployment of mobile towers to ensure seamless activity.

Keyamo praised the first responders and airport staff for their swift action, noting that several air traffic controllers trapped during the blaze were successfully rescued by crane, and the few individuals injured are currently in stable condition.

Addressing speculation about sabotage or specific causes, such as inverter failure, the Minister declined to engage in “conspiracy theories,” stating that formal investigations would determine the cause in due course.

He pointed out that the 50-year-old terminal had suffered from years of abandoned maintenance and capacity overstretch, validating President Tinubu’s earlier decision to prioritise the reconstruction of a facility that handles 67% of Nigeria’s air traffic.

The Minister reiterated the federal government’s vision to transform MMIA into a premier African hub capable of competing globally.

He noted that the ongoing work by contractors on-site, including bridge reconstruction to the new terminal, reflects a commitment to modernisation that will eventually allow for visa-free transit and a world-class passenger experience.

LEADERSHIP reports that the incident, which sparked tension at the airport on Monday, disrupted flight operations and triggered emergency protocols.

In a statement, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed the outbreak and assured the public that its emergency response teams were promptly deployed to the scene.

“FAAN wishes to inform the public of a fire outbreak at Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Our firefighting team responded immediately and worked to contain the situation. No loss of life was recorded,” the statement read.

The fire, which reportedly began around 3:00 p.m., was still being battled by firefighters as of 7:00 p.m., causing significant disruption to airport operations.

Several international flights were diverted, compounding travel delays and creating operational uncertainty for airlines.

It was gathered that at least six persons were hospitalised following the incident, which damaged critical airport equipment and triggered a large-scale, multi-agency emergency response.