Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, says that President Bola Tinubu is committed to world class aviation sector in Nigeria.
Keyamo said this in a statement issued by Odutayo Oluseyi, Head, Press and Public Affairs at the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Oluseyi also quoted Keyamo as saying that sound policy development is key to attracting investment in the aviation industry.
“Speaking while receiving a team from the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), led by its Managing Director, Dr. Armstrong Ume Takang, recently in his office, Hon. Minister expressed his appreciation to the team describing MOFI as the missing link in his ongoing efforts and welcomed the opportunity for closer collaboration,” Oluseyi said.
While in agreement to set up a joint working team to advance the collaboration, he said Keyamo reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to a world class aviation sector in Nigeria.
“Sound policies backed by the right partnerships are the catalysts for sustainable growth,” Keyamo said.
“This collaboration strengthens the framework needed to achieve Mr. President’s vision of a world-class aviation sector that can compete globally.”
Oluseyi said Takang, the Managing Director of MOFI led the team in company of Power International Holdings, their Qatari partner, to present investment opportunities in the aviation sector.
Takang described Keyamo’s recent Cape Town Convention (CTC) and the Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA) initiatives as a masterstroke toward building a robust aviation sector.
According to Oluseyi, the team highlighted potential areas of collaboration critical to achieving President Tinubu’s trillion-dollar economy vision.
In another development, Keyamo, following Thursday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by Tinubu at the State House in Abuja disclosed that the Federal Government (FG) had awarded the contract for the overhaul of Terminal One at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) at a cost of ₦712.26 billion.
The decision, according to FEC marks the launch of a wider ₦900 billion budget to upgrade aviation infrastructure across Nigeria.
Keyamo explained that the project will involve stripping the old terminal to its basic structural frame and installing new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
The minister revealed that the plan also includes the expansion of Terminal Two in Lagos, with additional works such as a new apron, access roads, bridges and supporting infrastructure.
As part of efforts to boost security around the infrastructure, the council also approved a ₦49.9 billion perimeter fence project at the Lagos airport.
The 14.6-kilometre steel barrier will include an intrusion detection system, CCTV cameras, solar-powered floodlights and a patrol road.
According to Keyamo, the security installation would feature a central command center for real-time monitoring.
“Anyone or anything close to the fence will be detected immediately, and the location pinpointed,” the minister said.
