Nigerian govt approves construction of new airport in Lagos

The Federal Government has approved the construction of a new airport in the Lekki-Epe area of Lagos State.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, presented a Letter of Approval for the construction of the proposed Lekki-Epe International Airport to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the 9th Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.

The state government had last week declared its intention to begin the construction of the airport on 3,500 hectares of land from 2023.

The airport which will be constructed around the Lekki Free Zone (LFZ) is expected to assist manufacturers and other business owners within the zone to transport their products abroad.

The minister said Lagos State was very significant to the economy of the country, adding that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja was currently congested.

He added that Lagos has the resources for an additional airport which would help to decongest the MMIA.

READ ALSO: Lagos govt to build new airport in Lekki

Sirika said: ”Lagos with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), housing and Stock Exchange, 200 financial institutions, 25 million people on 5,377 square kilometres of landmass, including the Eko Atlantic, all the industries, the tradition, the history, the tourist attraction, the Eyo Festival, and so on so forth, needs to be connected to the world.

“For Lagos to continue to be the centre of the country’s economy, the only best way you can link this city of Lagos to the world is obviously by infrastructure and especially civil aviation.

“The expansion of Lagos is astronomical, is huge, is big. The idea and the size of the economy is good and big. So, you need to continue to link Lagos, not only with Nigeria, but Africa and the world.

“You are not going to get it wrong because aviation has the opportunity and uniqueness to link markets, link history, tradition and culture, people, schools and hospitals, which Lagos has.

In his remark, Sanwo-Olu said the project was all about a partnership between the federal government and Lagos State for the benefit of the citizens.

“This infrastructure will reduce journey time, make Lagos easily and better accessible, and people can make a local and international business decision, given all the investment that had happened in that direction,” the governor stated.

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