Cargo Terminal Projects Form Part Of Aviation Roadmap, Says Sirika

Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has said that the several airport cargo terminal projects across Nigeria, constitute part of the aviation roadmap that was designed at the inception of the outgoing administration of General Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking yesterday while commissioning the first phase of the expansion project at General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, which featured a new protocol lounge, Sirika said five of the cargo terminals had been completed and that seven would be commissioned this year, adding that Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos airports now have new cargo terminals. He said the terminals would change civil aviation’s contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The new Zulu Terminal at GAT, MMA contains brand new protocol lounges, airline office spaces, VIP lounges, with the complements of conveniences that will enhance safety, security and comfort of our esteemed passengers.
He said the project was conceived to address the decades-long limited capacity challenge of the terminal and that the geometric increase in population of Nigeria, which resulted in increase in passenger volume had overwhelmed available facilities at the terminal.
“As part of efforts to address this challenge, the Federal Government at some point developed the Zulu terminal to complement the existing old terminal, but the capacity limitation situation still persisted. Oftentimes, particularly at peak periods, you will observe that facilities in this terminal are usually overstretched because the volume of passengers using the facilities far outweighs the capacity available. We therefore evaluated the situation, and decided to expand the terminal, as a short term measure to address the situation. It is our intention to build a new and much bigger domestic terminal in the nearest future,” said Sirika.
He added that the facility was only the first phase of the project and that the incoming administration would hopefully continue with the construction of the second phase.
In his remarks, the outgoing Managing Director/Chief Executive of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt Hamisu Yadudu said the new facility at Lagos GAT used to host 256 passengers but that with this expansion, there is now capacity for 1024 passengers.
Yadudu said he was tasked by the Minister four years ago to improve the airports and that “there is no issue of deficiency in Lagos airport that has not been attended to. At least, 80% has been attended to.”