Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government says the newly completed Terminal Two of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos has created over 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.
This was pointed out by the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, while inspecting the terminal and its state-of-the-art facilities and fittings in the company of Captain Rabiu Yadudu, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Addressing the newsmen, the Minister also said the new facility has the capacity to process 14 million passengers per annum, stressing that it was built to complement Terminal One and not to replace it.
“That is why we were told that you could check in at one terminal and board at the other, so there is a handshake between the two terminals.
“It was the first terminal added to the original terminal since it was built some 40 years ago.
“The Terminal Two project started in 2013 and was completed by the present administration in 2022 under a bilateral agreement with the People’s Republic of China,’’ he said.
He said the edifice, replicated in Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano airports, is a testament to the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in infrastructure development.
According to the Minister, the Buhari administration’s commitment to infrastructure development covering roads, bridges, rail, water dams, and sea ports was unprecedented.
“No administration in the history of Nigeria has done this much, especially at a time of scarcity of resources,” the minister said.
Speaking on the facilities and fittings in the terminal, the minister said it was a whole new experience, especially in terms of aesthetics, comfort, free trolley services, hotel and premium lounges, friendly customer services, and free wifi.
“I must confess it was an exhilarating experience comparable to what obtains anywhere in the world,’’ he said.
The new terminal has 60 check-in counters, seven passenger boarding bridges as well as five baggage claim belts, 16 departure desks, and 28 arrival desks.
There are eight security screening points, a fully automated security control room with CCTV, and an eye-based lie detector machine.
The team was also taken through the experiences of passengers departing from and arriving at the terminal, Passport Control/Immigration Desks, Visa on Arrival Point, and the Arrival Concourse.
The facilities included the Ticketing Point, Passport Control, Port Health Screening and praying area for Muslims and Christians. Yadudu, in his remarks, said the terminal was long overdue and thanked the president for his commitment to completing all ongoing projects.
