Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has described as unfortunate, what he described as the ‘hasty’ relocation of foreign airlines from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) old terminal to the new one in Lagos.
While reassuring that the federal government was committed to renovating the terminal, he nevertheless noted that the fire event that destroyed the terminal in September made the move inevitable at the time.
Keyamo spoke when he received the report of the taskforce he set up to oversee the relocation of foreign airlines.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the relocation of foreign airlines came about a month after the directive from the minister, but majority of them refused to relocate over the size of the apron, which cannot accommodate bigger airplanes.
Read Also: Airline Operators Cheer Keyamo’s Nigeria Air Suspension
The sudden relocation of the airlines, however, came with serious inconveniences to passengers and even the operators, even as some airlines were forced to adjust their schedule.
Keyamo, who received the report of the taskforce on Friday, according to the statement by the head of the Department of Press and Public Affairs in the ministry, Odutayo Oluseyi, noted that the Lagos airport accounted for 60 per cent of entry points and exit into Nigeria.
Keyamo, had a few weeks ago asserted that the government is steadfastly striving to position Nigeria as the leading aviation hub in Africa.
This statement from Mr. Keyamo was made public at the seventh edition of the Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition 2023 in Abuja, which took place on a Wednesday.
He stated that the present government is fully prepared to accomplish this goal by addressing the aviation industry’s challenges to attract foreign investors.
Keyamo said that the government’s commitment includes enforcing contract agreements and ensuring the protection of investors’ rights and the interests of all parties. Nigeria’s adherence to the Cape Town Convention demonstrates its commitment to upholding international obligations.