N350bn Can’t Build World-class Airport To Replace MMIA – Experts

Stakeholders in the aviation sector have asked the federal government not to build a new airport but rather allow concessionaires to rebuild the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

They spoke against the backdrop of the recent disclosure by the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, that the government intends to demolish the structure and replace it with a modern facility.

LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that the minister said the terminal building had outlived its usefulness and needs a modern and smart terminal structure that would cater for the travelling needs of Nigerians and other users.

According to him, the international terminal, which was modelled after Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, was opened on March 15, 1979, but while Schiphol had undergone massive transformation over the years, the Lagos airport terminal had become a shadow of its old self.

Keyamo stated that when the airport terminal was commissioned in 1979, even up to late 1990, it was processing just about 200,000 passengers in a year, adding that the terminal now processes more than 10 million passengers yearly, with an increase in the number of aircraft that fly into the country.

In separations, the stakeholders agreed with the federal government over the planned demolition of the airport for a new terminal is required.

They, however, argued that since the government would be concessioning the airport, those who win the bid should be allowed to reconstruct the airport.

The chief executive officer of Belujane Konzult, Chris Aligbe, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that though a new terminal was required, the N350 billion projected for the new terminal building is about $375 million, which he said, isn’t enough to build a world-class terminal anywhere in the world.

Aligbe, a former general manager of Corporate Affairs of the defunct Nigeria Airways, argued that building world-class terminals runs into billions of dollars around the world. Hence the government cannot afford to build an airport that won’t serve a purpose.

“Huge resources will be required to fund a world-class terminal. About N350 billion projected for the building of a new terminal building is about $375 million.

“World-class airports run into several billions of dollars, not naira. So, the N350 billion is not enough to build a world-class airport. For instance, Terminal 2 in the United Kingdom was built for over £5 billion, even that of Ethiopia. It is a good decision, but the government must ensure it’s a world-class investment and competes with what we have in other African countries.

“A new terminal is required and the government thinks that the way to go is for them to invest in building a new terminal. We can see the ambience; we can see what the FAAN MD is doing; she’s doing so much to make the best of a not-too-good situation. And she’s succeeding. But irrespective of that, that airport cannot be turned into a modern airport at the moment. It’s not the best at the moment,” he said.

The aviation consultant also agreed that since the government planned to concession the airports, it should be done on a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) basis.

In his contribution, the former president of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Kabiru Gusau, agreed that Nigeria requires an efficient and modern airport in Lagos.

The labour leader said for the government to mull the intention of demolishing the structure, there must have been a purpose behind it.

“It depends on the purpose because the solution may be because of the design, action or inability to expand. Maybe there may be some mistakes, whereby if you look financially, it’s easier to demolish and build another one than to redesign.

“So, we have to look at it critically to know whether demolition is better or not better. It depends on the situation on the ground. If the amendment to be done is easy, it’s better to amend it than to demolish it completely.

“However, a lot of mistakes are made, such as the inability to expand because the nation’s population is growing daily. If you look at the aviation in Nigeria, it’s growing. So, I think the best thing to be done is demolish, then we can build another one.

According to Gusau, demolishing the MMIA would encourage building modern infrastructure that befits the status of Nigeria as the giant of Africa.

“To have enough space, to make it a modern one, if demolition is the way to go, then, it should be done. Because there are some modulations that such cannot work. The best thing you can do is to demolish and build another but, before doing that, we must make adequate arrangements.

“If we are to demolish, where is the alternative? Where are we going to use for now? You can’t demolish something where you have not taken a second thought about it or have an alternative. There must be an alternate aerodrome,” Gusau said.