Nigeria’s Airports Still Offline Despite N800m Budget, Free MTN Wifi Service

All international and domestic airports in Nigeria currently lack functional WiFi services for arriving and departing passengers, LEADERSHIP has learnt.

In today’s global aviation environment, reliable internet connectivity is considered a basic passenger facilitation tool, particularly at international gateways where travellers often need to connect with family members, business associates or coordinate onward travel arrangements. For first-time visitors, access to WiFi is often the first point of communication upon arrival.

Recognising its importance, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development allocated N800 million in the 2026 budget to provide WiFi services at the country’s five international airports and selected domestic terminals.

The affected airports include the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Port Harcourt International Airport and Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

However, visits to airports in neighbouring West African countries such as Ghana, Togo and Abidjan show that functional internet services are readily available to passengers, a sharp contrast to the situation in Nigeria.

Last week, telecom operator MTN Nigeria announced the launch of free WiFi services at the Lagos and Abuja international airports. Despite this, checks by LEADERSHIP revealed that the service is currently not operational.

A visit to Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport, where the service was launched last week, showed that the MTN WiFi network was not working at the time of inspection.

Industry stakeholders have expressed concern about the continued lack of functional Wi-Fi services, describing it as a critical passenger facilitation and communication tool.

They pointed out that poor or non-existent airport Wi-Fi was partly due to technical, bureaucratic, and funding challenges, outdated equipment, unreliable power supply, unclear responsibility between agencies (like Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), and no clear mechanism to maintain the service

The general secretary of the Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), Olumide Ohunayo, said the WiFi service is meant for passengers, not airport staff.

According to him, the lack of functional WiFi could be traced to inter-agency rivalry between the FAAN and NAMA.

“What has stopped the provision of an effective Wi-Fi system in the past has been the back and forth between NAMA and FAAN over who should have control or provide that service.

“NAMA itself is working on legacy telecommunication equipment in its control, which serves as the basis for providers to service effectively and at the same time, FAAN as the airport owner has done what should be within their purview.

“Also, technology has moved beyond just using those cables of the past and these services do not need the cables of the past

But just modern technology driven by innovations and optics.

“It’s not a luxury service but a necessity to improve travel communication and the status of the airport for passengers because the idea of Wi-Fi in the airport is not for airport staff or those working in the airport but for passengers that fly into these airports as a means of communication and improving the general vision ecosystem of the communication of the passengers.”

Ohunayo further stressed that WiFi is central to an efficient airport system.

“Wi-fi helps with facilitations to and within the airport. I think if you want to increase passenger throughput into the airport and encourage passengers coming and going, there must be a way to communicate, and I think it’s a good project.

“Also, I hope this will be the last time I will be hearing about wi-fi at the international airport. It is important, it is necessary, and it is part of an effective and efficient travel architectural process within the airport,” Ohunayo stated.

Also speaking is an aviation security expert, Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd) argued that non-aeronautical services such as WiFi should be concessioned to allow government agencies to focus on core aviation responsibilities.

“Wifi is a non-Aeronautical Service, and this is why I am saying daily that the airport’s terminal buildings are non-Aeronautical Services that should be given out for concession so the government can face its necessary obligations on Aeronautical Services to the international community and the Nigerian citizens.”

Capt. Ojikutu, who is also the chief executive officer of Centurion Security and Safety Consult, added that the service is purely commercial and for passenger convenience.

“This is for passengers’ convenience and not the airport’s safety or the security agencies’ responsibility to the passengers and obligations to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Primarily, WiFi service is a commercial service like the shopping mall, restaurant, toilet,” he stated.

On his part, Capt. Muhammed Gbadamasi (rtd) expressed disappointment that in 2026, no Nigerian international airport can boast of functional WiFi services.

He called for an investigation into funds allocated for the project.

“Sadly, a significant amount of money has been wasted for no good reason. It’s also a shame that in 2026, no airport in the country can boast of having a single airport with efficient, functional WiFi. It’s a failure of the airport management teams.

“If so much money has been spent to provide WiFi services to the airports. To my mind, I think that the contract for the provision of this service should be investigated.”

Capt. Gbadamasi, a former chief pilot of the defunct ADC Airlines, stressed the need for professionalism in deployment.

“A WiFi network that can cover a large number of people, like the airport, is provided by a professional fibre cable service provider and not quacks. If anything other than this is what is obtained, those involved must be prosecuted,” he stated.