The Lagos State Authorities’s transfer to construct an airport to enrich the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, might face authorized resistance as an current settlement with a terminal operator within the state forbids the development of the airport, The PUNCH has discovered.
The development of the proposed new airport, if not repealed, will probably be in violation of an current settlement between Bi-Courtney Aviation Providers Restricted and the Federal Authorities.
On Friday, in a bid to start the development of the airport within the Lekki space of Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu met with senior officers of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.
The main points of this assembly had been mentioned to have been centred round how work will be expedited for the proposed airport development.
Sources with information concerning the assembly mentioned the governor didn’t solely attraction for the skilled recommendation of the regulators but in addition appealed for the approval of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to start the constructing of the airport.
This improvement acquired endorsement from business consultants, who said that when accomplished the airport will cut back visitors on the favored Murtala Muhammed Airport.
In October 2022 the Federal Authorities authorised the development of the Lekki Worldwide Airport within the Lekki-Epe space of Lagos State with a promise to start the development in 2023.
Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, offered the approval for the brand new airport to Sanwo-Olu on the Lagos Financial Summit 2022 within the state.
Nonetheless, previous to April 7, 2007, when the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two, Lagos was commissioned, the Federal Authorities reached an settlement with the Bi-Courtney Aviation Providers Restricted, a personal agency working the terminal, to not assemble one other new airport terminal within the state as soon as the concession settlement for MMA2 was nonetheless heading in the right direction.
The Federal Authorities had signed a 36-year settlement with Bi-Courtney Aviation Providers Restricted for the reconstruction of the as soon as burnt Terminal beneath a design-build-operate-transfer association.
Nonetheless, the terminal operators have solely operated the terminal for 17 years.
The Lagos State authorities beneath the Babatunde Fash¬ola’s administration mooted the concept of a brand new airport in 2009 beneath the Public Personal Partnership scheme.
In 2011, as a part of the com¬petitive tender course of for the development of the airport, the federal government, by means of its consultants, marketed a request for pre-qualification.
33 Nigerian and worldwide corporations indicated curiosity in collaborating within the formidable undertaking, however the undertaking was delayed by opposition from landowners and difficulties in elevating finance.
In 2011, a report by native newspapers, the place the then Commissioner for Commerce and Trade was quoted, Adeniyi Oyemade, famous that about N102bn had been voted for the undertaking.
However since Fashola left workplace in 2015, not a lot was heard of the undertaking once more till when San¬wo-Olu revived it with approval from the Federal Authorities.
Sanwo-Olu mentioned that con¬struction on the brand new airport could be constructed alongside the Lekki–Epe Expressway and could be on 3,500 hectares of land within the space.
Nonetheless, efforts to get Bi-Courtney to talk on the matter have been futile.
A senior workers member who spoke on the situation of anonymity within the firm advised our correspondent that the corporate had no response on the matter on the time of submitting this report.
The Head of Company Communications of the corporate, Ajoke Yinka-Olawuyi, mentioned she can’t touch upon the event.
“I can’t touch upon that matter for now,” Olawuyi advised our correspondent.
The Commissioner for Info within the State, Gbenga Omotoso, refused to touch upon the event as he ignored each textual content messages of enquiry and calls from our correspondent.
In the meantime, the Director of Analysis at Zenith Journey Restricted, Olumide Ohunayo, mentioned the state wants an extra airport.
“Lagos state is the largest industrial metropolis in Nigeria with a inhabitants of about 20 million and a excessive group within the center class. You may make sure that a second airport is a necessity and of significance to additional increase the financial system of the state.”
The Managing Companion, TMSS Logistics, an aviation logistic consulting and repair supplier firm, Nuhu Adam, mentioned the announcement by the state authorities was a great improvement and a sport changer for the state.
He mentioned, “The announcement by the Lagos State Authorities is an efficient improvement and a sport changer. The airport is being promoted throughout the idea of a free-trade zone. It’s positively going to be a sport changer, given the strategic location of Lagos as an aviation hub in West Africa.
“Nonetheless, the promoter must be conscious of the present settlement between the present operator of a terminal and the Federal Authorities. I see this as an encumbrance if the authorized hurdle just isn’t correctly ironed out.
“It gained’t be within the curiosity of who-be buyers, given the final expertise of Virgin Nigeria Vs Federal Authorities on the problem of operation of home flights from worldwide terminals.”