The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the complete renovation, upgrade, and remodelling of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, along with major rehabilitation projects in other airports across the country.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, disclosed this while briefing State House journalists after the 7th FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Thursday.
Keyamo said the Lagos airport’s renovation, which includes the repair of the main terminal building, access roads, and bridges, will span 22 months and cost N712 billion. The upgrade of the MMIA runway will cost N44 billion and is expected to be completed within 30 weeks. The airport park will also be expanded.
The Council also approved the construction of a 14.6km perimeter fence around the Lagos airport and installation of CCTV surveillance cameras at a cost of N50 billion, to be delivered within 24 months.
Other aviation-related approvals include:
Rehabilitation of the landing system at Port Harcourt International Airport at a cost of N43 billion.
Runway rehabilitation and navigational aid upgrades at Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, for N43 billion, to be completed in 24 weeks.
Concessioning of the business section of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, to improve commercial viability.
Keyamo assured that stakeholder engagement sessions will be held before construction begins, to outline changes for passengers and airport users during the renovation period.
Read Also: Oyetola denies new contracts as Reps grill ministry over Baro Port inactivity
In the health sector, Mohammed Pate, Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare, announced FEC’s approval of a new oncology centre at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
This builds on the government’s recent launch of oncology centres in teaching hospitals in Katsina, Enugu, and Benin.
Pate said the Ibadan centre will be fully upgraded to include a linear accelerator for radiotherapy, along with modern diagnostic equipment. He added that additional oncology centres are being planned in Lagos, Zaria, and Jos.
He also highlighted ongoing projects at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, which now hosts one of the largest medical complexes in West Africa. The facility recently commissioned over 10 major projects including a neurology centre, stroke centre, heart centre, interventional radiology centre, and an upgraded oncology unit.
Pate praised the Tinubu administration’s “revolutionary” investments in federal health infrastructure under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also addressed recent unrest in the health sector caused by a circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. The circular, which was based on prior agreements, triggered discontent among professional groups. Pate said it has since been withdrawn, and negotiations for revised allowances are underway.
“We’re in active dialogue with key professional associations like the NMA, which issued an ultimatum but later extended it after constructive engagement,” he said.
He acknowledged other ongoing issues affecting nurses and interns, and pledged that the government would address them fairly, noting that “not all issues are financial.”
Further meetings with union leaders are scheduled for Friday, as the government works toward sustained industrial harmony in the health sector.
Also at the briefing, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Council directed the Attorney General of the Federation to draft an executive order to regulate sand mining, particularly in areas near bridges in Lagos.
This directive follows growing concerns over the role of unregulated sand mining in bridge collapses and environmental degradation in the state.
