February 24, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government rerouted several airlines yesterday following the inferno that damaged a significant portion of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Monday.
In addition to the rerouting, the government has established temporary arrangements for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) who will utilize mobile towers to ensure that operators can resume normal flight services without delay.
According to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, these mobile towers were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday.
During an inspection tour of the facility following the incident, Keyamo assured the public that flight activities would not be disrupted.
He emphasised that the government had already planned to migrate operations from the old terminal to the new one long before the fire occurred.
Regarding the transition, Keyamo stated, “this place would have come down anyway. We are just waiting for people to evacuate. So, this fire actually helps to just, well, not help, but this fire will hasten our movement away from the place.”
When asked about the origin of the blaze, Keyamo remained cautious, stating, “at my level of minister, I cannot begin to speculate and get involved in conspiracy theories. But we should just have to do what we have to do now.”
He noted that while many buildings worldwide remain functional after a century due to consistent maintenance, the state of the Lagos airport was a result of prolonged abandonment.
“The traffic overpowered the capacity of the building over time. So, that is why the President took a decision on this gateway to Nigeria, where 67 per cent of travellers come into Nigeria,” he added.
The Minister confirmed that four officials injured during the fire are currently in stable condition, though he noted that equipment belonging to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) on the fourth and fifth floors sustained severe damage.
Looking toward the future of the terminal, Keyamo shared a vision for the site to become a premier regional hub.
He remarked, “Whilst we repair what has been damaged and while we continue to rebuild this place. And this place is going to be a proper hub now. We want to challenge other West African hubs and even African hubs. That we can transit passengers through here without them having to get visas into Nigeria. We can come transit through here and fly to other parts of the world through here. That is what this design is all about. And Nigerians will be very proud of what the President has done at the end of this.”
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
