A coalition of leading civil society organisations has criticised the Nigerian Government’s decision to allocate N712 billion for the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and modernisation of Terminal One at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, calling the move “excessive,” “wasteful,” and a stark misalignment with Nigeria’s urgent socio-economic needs.
It said, “We, the undersigned Coalition of Civil Society Organisations have closely followed the conversation on the Federal Government’s allocation of N712billion for what has been described as the reconstruction, rehabilitation and modernisation of Terminal One of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.”
The statement was signed by Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness (CESDA), Grassroots Center for Rights & Civic Orientation (GRACO), and Gee Foundation for Social Justice and Development, 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth & Women Initiative (CEYWI), and Nurturelife Initiative for Health & Empowerment Civic Spaces Initiative (aka RILDEV).
The group referenced recent remarks by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who confirmed that the project will be financed through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.
They acknowledged the necessity for modern infrastructure but raised concerns about transparency and value for money.
“While this Coalition is not against the provision of world-class infrastructure to drive Nigeria’s economic growth and prosperity, there are important value for money, transparency and accountability issues, which the Federal Government cannot afford to gloss over,” the Coalition said.
Highlighting the economic hardship faced by millions of Nigerians, the Coalition questioned the rationale behind dedicating such a substantial amount to a single airport terminal project.
“We make bold to state that monies being expended for the project are not personal monies of government officials, but public funds, which should be used prudently, transparently, and in line with the most pressing priorities of the Nigerian people,” it said.
The statement pointed out that the airport upgrade comes despite previous investments in five airport upgrades under the last administration. The Coalition questioned the priority status of the project given the scale of hunger, insecurity, and poverty affecting ordinary Nigerians.
“The fundamental question for us is: in the face of millions of poor, starving, and insecure citizens, this project can stand the priority test,” the statement said.
They emphasised that the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund’s core mandate includes enhancing agricultural value chains to boost food security — a goal they argue the airport project does little to support.
“How does the N712 billion project fundamentally enhance our country’s agricultural output and its value chain to make it a pressing priority of the moment?” it asked.
Comparisons were also drawn to allocations in the 2025 national budget.
The Coalition noted that the N712 billion earmarked for the airport is nearly equivalent to Nigeria’s entire annual budget for agriculture (N826.5 billion), and not far behind the N1.91 trillion for healthcare for over 200 million citizens.
“That the amount of just one airport reconstruction is close to the annual budgets for key sectors, which should serve the welfare of Nigerians, speaks to the misplacement of national priorities,” it said.
Furthermore, they accused the federal government of hypocrisy, citing its recent advice to state governors to focus on healthcare, education, and poverty reduction.
“It is clear that federal authorities are not practicing what they preach. The deployment of scarce public funds for the execution of vainglorious white elephant projects is part of the unending assault on the sensibilities of long-suffering Nigerians,” it said.
The Coalition criticised the lack of National Assembly deliberation on the approval and called for a redirection of the funds towards more grassroots-oriented projects. It also demanded full disclosure of all savings from fuel subsidy removal.
“This Coalition can boldly assert that the N712 billion, if transparently and strategically utilised can help pull out a good number of the 75 percent of Nigerians in the rural areas, which the World Bank in May, stated live below the poverty line,” it said.
They called the airport project “opaque, vain and corruption-prone,” and urged Nigerians to rise and demand transparency and accountability.
In the statement, the coalition demands that the funds be redirected towards rural roads, cottage industries, healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation.
They also called on President Tinubu’s administration to disclose actual savings from fuel subsidy removal and ensure the funds are used for impactful, people-centered initiatives.
“Let’s prioritise the well-being of our citizens over grandiose projects. Together, we can demand transparency, accountable and responsive governance,” the statement concluded.
There have been mixed reactions regarding the plan to rebuild the Murtala Muhammed International Airport with N712 billion by the Tinubu-led administration.
About the Author
