N102bn Lekki Airport Project At Risk Of Delays Due To Legal Issues

N102bn Lekki Airport Project At Risk Of Delays Due To Legal IssuesThe Lagos State Government’s plan to construct a new airport to complement Murtala Muhammed Airport may encounter legal challenges due to an existing agreement with a terminal operator that prohibits such construction, according to The PUNCH.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Building the proposed airport without repealing this agreement would violate the contract between Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited and the Federal Government. On Friday, in efforts to advance the airport project in the Lekki area, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu met with senior officials from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). The discussions focused on expediting the construction process.

Sources indicate that the governor sought both professional guidance from regulators and the NCAA’s approval to proceed with the project. Industry experts have endorsed the development, suggesting it would alleviate congestion at Murtala Muhammed Airport.

In October 2022, the Federal Government approved the construction of the Lekki International Airport, promising to initiate work in 2023. Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, presented this approval to Sanwo-Olu during the Lagos Economic Summit 2022.

However, an agreement established before April 7, 2007, when Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2) was commissioned, restricts the construction of a new airport terminal while the concession agreement with Bi-Courtney remains active. The Federal Government had signed a 36-year contract with Bi-Courtney for the terminal’s reconstruction under a design-build-operate-transfer arrangement, yet the operators have only been managing the terminal for 17 years.

The concept of a new airport was first proposed by the Lagos State government during Babatunde Fashola’s administration in 2009, under a Public-Private Partnership scheme. In 2011, the government advertised a request for pre-qualification, attracting interest from 33 Nigerian and international firms. However, the project faced delays due to opposition from landowners and challenges in securing financing.

For more information on this article and other related posts from Bushradiogist, please join our WhatsApp channel by clicking this link https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaUumOODTkK7AZL1Fw3o. For advertisement inquiries only, kindly send a message to 090 1907 0863 on WhatsApp.