The Nigerian Government gave the Lagos State government official authority on Tuesday to build the Lekki International Airport.
Recall that the Lagos State Government declared last Friday that the airport’s construction would begin in 2023. It stated that 3,500 hectares of land in the Lekki-Epe region would be used to build the new airport.
Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation, remarked that the Murtala Mohammed International Airport is crowded and that building a new airport in Lekki is appropriate while speaking at the Lagos Economic Summit, Ehingbeti 2022, on Tuesday.
“Of course, you will agree with me that the Muritala Mohammed is too congested and far away from the centre of action at the moment because it is a new Lagos; because there is Eko Atlantic, the Lekki Bridge. Lagos needs this airport and we are more than happy to have it,” he said.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, expressed excitement for the project in his remarks and said that with the airport, Lagos will be more accessible for businesses.
According to him, the airport will primarily benefit the community and businesses by providing a platform for their growth.
“For us, it is all about partnerships with the Federal Government and the Ministry of Aviation but the real beneficiaries are the citizens, the businesses we are trying to activate more – government to government and business to business. That is how you develop economies like this. Give them a platform for their business to thrive,” he said.