The reconstruction of the degraded Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) road, linking Oshodi, in Lagos, is to be delivered at the cost of about N6 billion, BusinessDay has learnt.
The project being financed by the government of Lagos State, to be completed within 15 months, is seen complementing facilities at the MMAI, which remains Nigeria’s most used international gateway.
Experts say the road upgrade, aside giving the MMIA a lift, will also boost businesses along the airport road, as well as enhance security and safety of Nigerians and foreigners entering Nigeria for the first time. Several hotels and other facilities along the road, according to the experts, will witness more patronage, and this means a boost to Nigeria’s economy.
“The construction of the road will further give the airport a facelift. It will be an amazing experience for passengers to meet world-class facilities at the airport and have same experience with the airports road,” Igwe Francis, public relations officer, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) said.
Although the cost of the project has not been officially announced to the public by the state government, an inside source told BusinessDay that about N6 billion is to be expended to upgrade the road to a standard befitting an international airport.
The state government had said some of the fences along the corridor fall within the right of way, but that it would minimise the impact on property owners.
“The desire of the state government under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, is to ensure that this whole corridor is turned into an international corridor, so that investors and the people can be proud that we have an international gateway that we all can be proud of.
“There will be minor inconveniences but we are going to try to mitigate the impact and accelerate the work,” Adebowale Akinsanya, commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, said during the flag off of the project on September 4, 2017.
The contract is being handled by Planet Projects, the same firm undertaking the ongoing Oshodi Transportation Interchange, that would see to the transformation of Oshodi into a multi-floor car park of international standard.
The road is being upgraded to five lanes on both sides. Three of the middle lanes on both directions will be for fast moving vehicles, while the other two will be service-lanes. It is to be complemented with a ramp bridge for a U-turn from Ajao Estate to the airport and a flyover at NAHCO/Toll Gate, as well as drainage works.
Furthermore, the existing pedestrian bridge at Ajao Estate will be removed, to allow for the construction of new ones at both at Ajao Estate and NAHC O/Hajj Camp. There will also be the construction of slip road to provide access to Ajao Estate, as well as lay-bys and installation of street lights, among other facilities.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had requested the Federal Government to release the degraded road to the Lagos State Government for upgrade to international standard, befitting Nigeria, and Lagos’ status, as West Africa’s economic hub.
According to Francis, the MMIA and the road will complement each other and make passenger experience from the road to airport terminals worthwhile, as air conditioning, conveyor belts and other facilities have been improved upon.
Five years ago, the Federal government approved the sum of N106 billion for the project and issued orders for the immediate take-off of construction work on the five terminals for international flights.
Although stakeholders have raised concerns on the location and space allocated of these new terminals, FAAN has countered such concerns, saying the terminals will be linked to the old ones, to make them larger.
FAAN has promised that the Lagos terminal should be ready before the end of 2017.
The managing director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Dunoma Saleh, said that the terminal under construction at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos will process at least 2,100 passengers daily.
Saleh also said the terminal being constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, has the capacity to handle three wide-body aircraft at once.
JOSHUA BASSEY & IFEOMA OKEKE
