The recent fire outbreak at Terminal 1 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) has set off urgent emergency measures and reignited concerns over Nigeria’s long-stalled airport upgrade plans.
The destruction of key aviation equipment and temporary disruption of flights exposed serious infrastructure gaps at the nation’s busiest airport, prompting the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to order the demolition of the ageing terminal and accelerate reconstruction.
As operations were swiftly stabilised, the incident has emerged as a major test of the country’s aviation safety framework, emergency response systems, and ambition to reposition Lagos as a modern regional hub.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced plans to demolish Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport following the recent fire outbreak that severely damaged the facility.
The minister, who led an inspection of the affected terminal, disclosed that critical equipment belonging to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency was destroyed in the inferno. He said a temporary terminal to accommodate the few airlines operating from the facility is already at an advanced stage of completion.
Keyamo confirmed that the fire was successfully contained and no lives were lost, though several floors of the terminal remain unsafe for access. He revealed that air traffic controllers trapped on the upper floors were rescued with cranes, while some equipment could not be salvaged.
He said arrangements had been made to commence immediate debris clearance and accelerate reconstruction efforts, adding that temporary air traffic control facilities, including mobile towers, have been deployed to ensure continuity of operations.
The minister dismissed speculations surrounding the cause of the fire, stating that formal investigations would determine the source of the incident. He noted that the 50-year-old terminal had suffered prolonged neglect and overstretched capacity, reinforcing the Federal Government’s decision to prioritise its reconstruction.
Keyamo reiterated the administration’s plan to transform MMIA into a modern aviation hub capable of competing with leading airports across Africa and beyond, adding that ongoing infrastructure works at the airport reflect the government’s commitment to modernisation and improved passenger experience.
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, assured passengers, airlines and airport users of the safety of operations at facility.
Kuku said the fire was swiftly contained by FAAN’s emergency response team, preventing casualties and limiting the spread of damage within the ageing terminal facility. She commended the coordinated efforts of FAAN’s rescue and firefighting services, describing their response as timely and professional.
She said engineers would carry out a comprehensive structural evaluation of the affected terminal to assess its load-bearing capacity, electrical installations and other critical facilities.
She added that rehabilitation works would strictly follow engineering and safety standards, noting that the timeline for reopening would be determined by technical clearance. Preliminary findings, she said, indicated extensive damage to key infrastructure, while debris removal and safety inspections were already ongoing to ascertain the stability of the affected areas.
Kuku reaffirmed FAAN’s commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards across Nigeria’s airports, stressing that the incident underscored the urgent need to accelerate ongoing modernisation and rehabilitation works at key aviation facilities nationwide.
She appealed for calm and cooperation from passengers and stakeholders, assuring that FAAN would continue to work closely with all relevant agencies to restore normal operations fully and prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
The Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Abdullahi Ganduje, described the fire incident as a serious threat to aviation safety.
During an on-the-spot assessment, he said the Board visited the site to underscore FAAN’s commitment to safety as its core value. He praised FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, and the over 150 firefighters who battled the blaze, noting that their swift response prevented loss of life.
Ganduje admitted the incident posed a setback to ongoing aviation reforms under Bola Tinubu, but expressed confidence in FAAN’s capacity to recover swiftly. He also commended the quality of the ongoing remodelling works at the international terminal, describing them as world-class.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Abdulfatai Buhari, said lawmakers conducted an immediate assessment of the damage despite ongoing budget defence sessions. He commended aviation agencies for their swift intervention, noting that diverted flights were professionally handled and international operations resumed later the same day.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba, said the Managing Director of FAAN demonstrated commendable leadership by stabilising the situation within hours. He added that the National Assembly would await the outcome of investigations before drawing conclusions.
The fire also destroyed critical equipment belonging to the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority, leading to temporary disruption of air traffic operations in Lagos.
Managing Director of NAMA, Umar Farouk, said the agency’s primary air-to-ground communication system was completely knocked out, forcing a temporary suspension of inbound flights into Lagos at the height of the crisis as a safety precaution.
He explained that NAMA activated contingency measures by deploying emergency backup systems and drawing operational support from other centres nationwide to stabilise services within the Lagos airspace. Farouk assured airlines and passengers that Nigeria’s airspace remains safe, noting that communication and control services have since been restored.
The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) commended aviation authorities and personnel for their professionalism during the incident.
In a statement signed by its President, Edino Amos, the association said air traffic controllers were safely evacuated from the control tower using cranes, while operations were swiftly relocated in line with emergency procedures, allowing flight services to resume within the hour.
NATCA praised the minister’s prompt intervention and NAMA’s crisis management, as well as FAAN’s rescue and fire-fighting teams for preventing casualties. However, it said the incident exposed lingering safety and infrastructure gaps, calling on the Federal Government to conduct an urgent nationwide safety audit of control towers and fast-track the Safe Tower Project at MMIA.
The association reaffirmed its commitment to aviation safety and thanked pilots, security agencies, the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders for ensuring that normal flight operations were restored in record time.
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