Travel/Tourism
Lagos Mulls Establishment of State Controlled Airline
By Adedapo Adesanya
Lagos State is considering the establishment of a state-controlled airline for passenger operations.
The Governor of the state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, disclosed the plan on Thursday at the Lagos West Senatorial District People’s Town Hall Meeting, noting that the state is preparing to commence the construction of its airport in Lekki.
According to a statement by the state government, a former permanent secretary and retired auditor general for local government in Lagos, Mr Muhammed Hassan, submitted that the state was ripe to own an airline.
In his response, Mr Sanwo-Olu noted that the plan had been in the pipeline for months, with the state already finalising the financing model for the project.
According to the governor, the state is seeking the federal government’s approval and operational contingency for the airline.
At the meeting, Mr Sanwo-Olu and the deputy governor, Mr Obafemi Hamzat, mounted the stage to take feedback from the citizens, who asked questions about the governance of the state.
The governor said the input from the public was necessary to guide his government’s decision on planned programmes and interventions before their implementation.
Listing projects and interventions taken in Lagos West, Mr Sanwo-Olu pointed out that his administration had completed and opened 42 new road projects and two flyovers in the District, with the combined length of the infrastructure spanning over 72 kilometres.
He said the last four and half years had seen Lagos leaping forward in its socio-economic and development trajectory. He said he was resolute in doubling his efforts to keep the state on the sustainable growth path as his second term progresses.
“Over the last five months, Mr Deputy Governor and I have been working to put a concise plan together for the establishment of an airline, but we did not make the plan open because of the need to get adequate knowledge about the operational procedures of airlines.
“The business plan is viable and there is no issue about financing. The conversation has gone to an advanced stage but we need to get the proper information on operations before we go ahead to implement the plan.
“In Lagos West Senatorial District, infrastructure development has been our priority since we came in. Over the last four years, we have completed over 70 kilometres of new roads and over two kilometres of bridges. These include the Pen Cinema Bridge, Ikeja Flyover, and over 42 roads we have completed in Alimosho, Ifako, Agege, Ikeja, Mushin, Amuwo Odofin and Badagry. We also have over 30 ongoing road projects which are at various stages of completion within this district.”
Mr Sanwo-Olu assured Lagosians that his administration would raise the pace of its development strides, as he pledged to double the efforts to deliver twice the number of projects and programmes achieved in his first term.
The governor said the senatorial district was also the major beneficiary of the intra-city railway development projects of his administration, with Lagos West hosting major passenger hubs of Blue Line and Red Line trains.
He said the new general hospital being constructed by his administration in Ojo was at an advanced stage of development, saying its completion would further improve healthcare access in the district.
To further enhance security and safety in Lagos, Mr Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration would be releasing additional patrol vehicles and work gadgets to raise surveillance and the capacity of security agencies to respond to emerging threats.
He urged the citizens to be law-abiding and support measures introduced by the government to maintain law and order. The governor said it would not be enough to enforce obedience to laws, adding that the government would ensure laws are fair and just to all.
“We are in talks with you, the citizens, today because we believe the government does not know it all. The feedback and inputs we are taking away from here will help us to cater for your needs and well-being better. On our part, we will strive to make it easier for you to be law-abiding. It is not enough to say the laws must be obeyed, we must also ensure that the laws are clear, fair and just.
“When people break the law and don’t do the right thing, they make governance a lot more difficult for us. We must discharge our civic responsibility and fulfil our obligations as citizens. When we do this, it reduces the cost of governance and saves resources that will enable us to do a lot more. While we appreciate your suggestions, we are also encouraging you to ensure that all citizens do the right thing at all times,” he added.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Emirates has become the first airline cargo carrier to deploy the Boeing 777-300ERSF passenger-to-freighter converted aircraft.
The aircraft (A6-EBK) will enter commercial service with a flight from Hong Kong to Dubai carrying over 100 tonnes of cargo, a statement from the airline operator stated.
The converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF offers 100 tonnes of payload capacity and 811 m³ of cargo volume, representing a 25 per cent increase in cargo volume over the Boeing 777-F production freighter.
At 47 pallet positions, the converted aircraft also accommodates 10 additional pallet positions when compared with the Boeing 777-F production freighter, making it ideal for transporting volumetric cargo such as e-commerce goods, which currently constitute around 20 per cent of global air cargo tonnage with further growth projected in the next few years.
The converted Boeing 777-300ERSF is the sixth new freighter, following five Boeing 777-F production freighters, to join Emirates SkyCargo’s fleet since March 2026.
As part of its ambitious expansion strategy, Emirates SkyCargo will also be taking delivery of five additional Boeing 777-F aircraft as well as one additional converted Boeing 777-300ERSF by December 2026.
Emirates SkyCargo will also be introducing three additional converted Boeing 777-ERSFs into its fleet in 2027.
“The induction of the first converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF into operational service represents the next step in the expansion of our fleet and operational agility.
“We are optimising our fleet assets by converting older Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to meet the growing demand for air cargo capacity to transport goods rapidly across the world,” Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President, Badr Abbas, commented.
“Combined with our growing fleet of Boeing 777-F production freighters, we have already been able to scale our global freighter network from just over 40 destinations in February this year to 62 destinations currently and growing.
“We are providing our global customers with scalable cargo capacity and ultimate flexibility and connectivity when moving cargo to and through our hub in Dubai,” Abbas added.
