HUMAN rights activist Omoyele Sowore has reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s approval of N712.26 billion for the full rehabilitation of the Lagos Airport terminal, saying, “They’ve finished Nigeria.”
The ICIR reports that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Thursday, July 31, approved N712 billion for the full rehabilitation, upgrade, and modernisation of International Terminal One at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Keyamo said the approval was the centrepiece of a sweeping N900 billion aviation infrastructure plan for the country, noting that the project, awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), would strip the old terminal down to its structural core before rebuilding it with new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
He also noted that the project would be executed for over 22 months with funding through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.
In a post on his social media handle on Friday, Sowore expressed concern for the country, suggesting that the deteriorating condition of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport was deliberate.
“Now I understand that the situation at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, showing its disgraceful dilapidated state, resembling a war zone, was not accidental.
“It appears that it was intentionally neglected to facilitate a massive scheme for ‘repairs’ totalling N712 billion. They’ve finished Nigeria,” Sowore said.
The ICIR reports that the Minister of Aviation also disclosed that the domestic wing apron of the airport would be expanded over a three-phase project totalling more than 82,000 square metres, valued at N24.3 billion, to accommodate more aircraft.
He explained that the airport upgrade covered runway rehabilitation and improved lighting systems in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kano airports, aimed at enhancing aircraft landing capabilities during low-visibility conditions, such as the harmattan season.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.