FAAN: Financing Talks Advance For Lagos Airport Rail Link
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has disclosed that discussions on financing the proposed extension of the Lagos Mass Transit Red Line to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) have reached an advanced stage.
The Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, disclosed this while speaking as a keynote panellist at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, Portugal.
She said efforts were ongoing to finalise the project’s capital financing structure, describing the proposed rail connection as a major step towards improving accessibility to the Lagos airport.
She said efforts were ongoing to finalise the project’s capital financing structure, describing the proposed rail connection as a major step towards improving accessibility to the Lagos airport.
The project, being pursued by the Federal Government in collaboration with FAAN and the Lagos State Government, is expected to connect the airport’s three terminals to the Red Line as part of the broader modernisation of the MMIA.
According to Kuku, the planned rail extension will feature five stops within the airport, linking passenger terminals and cargo facilities to improve movement between the airport and other parts of Lagos.
She explained that the initiative would provide faster and more convenient transportation for passengers, airport workers and other users of the facility.
On the ongoing modernisation of the Lagos airport, the FAAN chief said the upgrade was designed to improve operational efficiency, strengthen infrastructure and create a more passenger-friendly environment through the adoption of modern technology.
Kuku noted that Lagos accounts for approximately 68 per cent of Nigeria’s air traffic, while Lagos, Abuja and Kano collectively handle about 80 per cent of the country’s passenger traffic.
She said the concentration of passenger movements at the three major aviation hubs underscored the need for FAAN to balance investments in busy airports with the infrastructure requirements of other facilities under its management.
The managing director added that safety remained a key consideration in the agency’s investment decisions, with significant resources directed towards airside infrastructure and the rehabilitation of major airports.
She said FAAN had focused on rehabilitating major airports, particularly primary international airports, over the past three years.
Kuku further disclosed that runway rehabilitation, resurfacing of runway extensions where feasible and the installation of improved airfield lighting systems were among the projects being undertaken at some of the country’s international airports.
On the Lagos airport upgrade, she explained that Terminal 1 was undergoing a comprehensive overhaul but would not be expanded.
Instead, the renovation would focus on reorganising the terminal’s internal layout, improving immigration and customs facilities, increasing the number and efficiency of service counters, and introducing modern technology to streamline passenger processing.
She said the improvements were intended to make travelling through the airport easier and more efficient while enhancing the overall passenger experience.
The proposed airport rail connection forms part of wider efforts to modernise Nigeria’s busiest international airport, improve connectivity and strengthen the country’s aviation infrastructure.
