.says Lagos'll work hand-in-hand with all Federal agencies
By Our Reporter
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has sought the support of investors to make the approved Lekki–Epe International Airport, a reality, saying that the state government was committed to partnering with them as well as Federal Government and its agencies, in building a stronger, safer, more competitive aviation industry for Nigeria.
The Lekki-Epe International airport is an initiative of the Lagos State Government.
Governor Sanwo-Olu gave this commitment on Monday, while speaking during the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) National Aviation Conference held at Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event was attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume; Governors Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Babagana Zulum (Borno) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), represented by his deputy, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele; and Board Chairman of FAAN, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, among others.
Sanwo-Olu assured that Lagos State would work hand-in-hand with all Federal agencies to ensure that the Lekki–Epe International Airport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) become models of what was possible when Federal and sub-national governments worked in the same direction.
"The Federal Government has granted approval to Lagos State to build a new international airport in the Ibeju–Lekki axis as a public-private partnership project.
"The airport is designed as a Code F-compliant facility, capable of handling the Airbus A380 and other wide-body aircraft, and is planned to sit on about 3,500 hectares of land, roughly 10 kilometres from the Lekki Free Trade Zone. The master plan provides for an initial capacity of five million passengers annually, with modular expansion as demand grows.
"Lekki–Epe International Airport is not a vanity project. It is a strategic response to decongesting MMIA and building resilience; positioning Lagos as West Africa’s preferred hub; unlocking new opportunities in MRO, training and aviation services; and supporting the Lekki industrial corridor, which is already home to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Free Trade Zone, the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, and an emerging industrial and residential city.
"We are committed to working hand-in-hand with FAAN, NCAA and all Federal agencies to ensure that the Lekki–Epe International Airport – and indeed MMIA – become models of what is possible when Federal and sub-national governments pull in the same direction," the governor stated.
"Here in Lagos, together with the Federal Government and our partners, we are determined to create a future in which Nigerian aviation is safe, modern, competitive and inclusive – a future in which our airports are not bottlenecks, but bridges to opportunity," he added.
Speaking further, Governor Sanwo-Olu also reiterated his administration's commitment to creating an integrated mobility ecosystem in which rail, road, water and air transport are seamlessly connected in the state.
According to him, his government over the last few years has made historic progress with the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line, running from Marina to Mile 2, and the Red Line, linking Agbado to Oyingbo, saying that it had also signed an MoU and unveiled plans for the Green Line, a 68-kilometre rail corridor from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
"We are building an integrated, multi-modal transport backbone designed to move more than 20 million residents and the millions who come to do business with us," he said.
Governors Uzodinma, Zulum and Abiodun, who also speaking during the conference, highlighted aviation as a driver of economic growth, showcasing new airports, integrated transport systems, and investment opportunities across Imo, Borno and Ogun states.
Post a Comment