Federal government gives Sanwoolu go-ahead to begin construction of Lekki airport

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwoolu has received a letter of approval from the federal government giving his administration permission to proceed with the construction of the Lekki Airport in the high brow suburb of Lagos State.

Lekki is an upmarket suburb of Lagos State where the wealthy and well heeled now live as property developers have moved into the area, building choice properties. Away from the hustle of Lagos mainland, Lekki is a serene and quiet suburb bit until now had lacked its own airport that made access difficult as residents need to navigate the notorious Lagos traffic to get to the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Ikeja.

In what will come as a relief to property developers operating in the area, the construction of a local airport is now expected to begin. Yesterday, aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, presented the approval for the airport to Governor Sanwoolu at the Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit, where he expressed confidence that the facility will link Nigeria to the world and open Lagos up to more international economic partnerships.

Work on the facility is expected to begin in 2023 and would be constructed on 3,500 hectares of land along the Lekki-Epe corridor. Ope George, the special adviser to governor on public-private partnerships, said that the master plan and aeronautical designs for the airport are already in place.

He added that studies are ongoing about strategies and funding, after which the project will be taken to the marketplace. In the making for about a decade, the concept of Lekki Airport was first muted during the tenure of former Lagos governor Babatunde Fashola, the current federal works and housing minister.