Discussions on financing the planned extension of the Lagos Mass Transit Red Line to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) are at an advanced stage, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, has said.
The project, planned by the Federal Government in collaboration with FAAN, will link the airport’s three terminals to the Red Line as part of the wider MMIA modernisation project.
Speaking as a keynote panellist at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, Portugal, Kuku said efforts were ongoing to finalise the project’s financing structure.
“We are actually working on completing the financing of the capital structure for that project,” she said.
Kuku explained that the rail link would improve access between the city and the airport, with five stops within the airport serving its terminals and cargo facilities.
“It allows us to connect the city very quickly to the airport with five stops within our airport. It connects our terminals and links our cargo terminals to the last stop,” she said, adding that the project would involve collaboration between the Lagos State and Federal Governments.
On the ongoing upgrade of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Kuku said the project would make the facility more efficient and passenger-friendly through improved infrastructure and modern technology.
She noted that the Lagos airport accounts for 68 per cent of Nigeria’s air traffic, while Abuja and Kano are among the country’s other major aviation hubs.
According to her, the three airports account for 80 per cent of passenger traffic, making it necessary for FAAN to balance investment in the busiest facilities with the needs of other airports under its management.
Kuku said safety remained a major consideration in determining the agency’s investment priorities, with much of its spending focused on airside infrastructure and the rehabilitation of major airports.
“In the last three years, we focused on rehabilitating our major airports and the primary international airports,” she said.
She added that runway rehabilitation, including the resurfacing of runway extensions where possible, and the installation of improved airfield lighting systems were among the ongoing works at two of the country’s six international airports.
On Lagos specifically, Kuku said Terminal 1 was undergoing a comprehensive overhaul but would not be expanded.
Instead, the work would focus on improving the terminal’s layout, including immigration and customs facilities, increasing efficiency at service counters and introducing modern technology to make the passenger experience smoother.
“We’re changing the layout with immigration and customs, the number of counters that you have, making it a lot more passenger-friendly, ensuring that we have modernised technology and infrastructure that makes travel easier for passengers,” she said.
The post Lagos Airport Rail Project Financing Talks At Advanced Stage – FAAN MD appeared first on Channels Television.