“Like a proper private-sector person, I blocked my ears. I didn’t listen to complaints and excuses. I said, whether you like it or not, move,” Keyamo declared. “They moved, and we are enjoying it today.”
BY ANTHONY OMOH
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has highlighted Lagos Airport upgrade progress, forex access improvements, and international route expansion as key achievements in the aviation sector. He made this know during the stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos with the theme: “Transforming the Aviation Industry through Strategic Partnerships.”
Keyamo commended Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and private-sector partners for modernizing the Lagos Airport D and E Arrivals. He stated, “The modernization of Lagos Arrival Airport D and E was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and private sector partners.”
He also addressed the relocation of foreign airlines to the new Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) terminal. Despite resistance, he insisted on the move. “There were a lot of deficiencies, a lot of professional problems, and they did not move,” he said. “The international airlines said no, they could not operate from there. The check-in counters had issues.”
However, he stood firm. “Like a proper private-sector person, I blocked my ears. I didn’t listen to complaints and excuses. I said, whether you like it or not, move,” Keyamo declared. “They moved, and we are enjoying it today.”
On forex availability, Keyamo credited the federal government’s policies for resolving trapped airline funds, which once exceeded $830 million. “Within the first six months, we cleared all our obligations to foreign airlines,” he revealed. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts with multiple commendations.
The minister also highlighted improved forex access for local airlines. “Because of the willing-seller, willing-buyer policy, access to forex is no longer a problem,” he explained.
Keyamo praised Air Peace for reopening the Lagos-London route, which had been monopolized by foreign carriers. “With the doggedness of Air Peace and some help from us, we opened up the Lagos-London route again,” he noted.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening local airlines and expanding international routes. “We must support our local airlines,” Keyamo emphasized.
