Why are MMA legacy projects not being acknowledged? - Punch Newspapers
NCAA General Manager, Public Relations, Mr. Sam Adurogboye
I am not an economist, but in my journey through life, I’ve noticed that every nation with a growing economy always has construction going on at its airports. There is no time you visit or stop over in any advanced country when expansion projects or outright new ones aren’t being built. Anytime one visits Singapore or Heathrow, Turkey or the Netherlands or New York or Dubai or Saudi Arabia or Germany or Canada or France. You name it, there is always one major construction or the other going on. Traffic is always being diverted at those airports to accommodate the work. But when you check out Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, the terminal building, copied from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands, is still standing the way it was built in 1979. All that has changed now, and the media has never mentioned these legacy projects anywhere. Why are we like this? New terminals have sprung up all over MMIA. Several overhead bridges and transit terminals, and no mention anywhere. Even a gigantic hotel building is under construction at both domestic and international levels. No mention anywhere. Who do us? All you hear on radio or television stations is negative reports after negative reports. No wonder people tend to listen more to music radio stations these days. At the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, four new hangars are being built simultaneously. They are at an advanced stage. I wrote about it when I saw them under the title, Things are looking up in Nigerian aviation. I didn’t know there was massive construction work going on at the international wing of MMA until August 16, 2026. In fact, I missed my way at an airport where I worked for over 25 years. This is for real. Political analysts, columnists, and media practitioners keep feeding us negativity almost every day. Adeboye welcomes 105 Nigerians after RCCG-funded repatriation from South Africa RCCG begins repatriation of 500 Nigerians from S’Africa RCCG flies home 107 Nigerians from South Africa Constructions are not done with stones, but with money. These current constructions are products of investors bringing in their funds to invest in this sector of the nation’s economy. Why are they not being acknowledged? Before I am accused of looking for a job. Far from it. I worked and retired statutorily and declined to stay back for an extra one day. I may not have the money, but my name, honour and integrity are intact. My needs are very small. One of my big bosses who offered me the opportunity to stay back is still very much in the spotlight. They are likely to read this piece.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google In about a year, no one will see the front view of Murtala Muhammed International Airport the way we have for the last 47 years. Simply because new terminal buildings have been built. New fingers have been built. Several expansions have taken place. Together, these changes have changed the face of Aviation in Nigeria for good. These are legacy projects that cannot be ignored. Resolving the stalled projects at Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 is a matter for another day. If there are three groups that need to change for Nigeria to progress, you will find them in the media, the legal profession and the Nigeria Police Force. These are the groups politicians manipulate. The day they stop and repent, we will begin to get accurate reports. Legacy and positive projects and issues will receive mention. Judicial officers will begin to stand for justice. Police will no longer be accomplices in wrongdoing. Adurogboye is a former General Manager of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Kindly share this story:
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