•Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos
Former National Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Peter Ameh, has condemned the federal government’s decision to earmark a staggering N712 billion for the renovation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, calling it a glaring example of misplaced priority at a time Nigeria is sinking deeper into debt and economic hardship.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) toed the same path, describing the expenditure as wasteful and reckless in a time of widespread economic hardship, reports The Guardian.
But the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, defended the cost, saying the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), which scrutinised and fixed the final cost, did an excellent job.
“I woke up and saw it trending – ₦712 billion to renovate an already functioning airport. It’s another white elephant project, and frankly, an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians,” Ameh said.
Nigeria is grappling with one of the worst debt crises in its history, with public debt surging to over N121 trillion as of mid-2025. In 2024 alone, the country spent more than 96 per cent of its revenue servicing existing debt, leaving little room for capital investments in productive sectors like agriculture, education and healthcare. The cost of borrowing has spiked, and external lenders are becoming more cautious, yet government expenditure continues to balloon – often on projects with questionable value.
“We are misappropriating resources, and we’re doing it blindly. This is a country that should be investing in agriculture and industry, not in vanity projects that yield no economic return,” he stated.
Ameh warned that Nigeria’s public health sector “is on life support”, with federal hospitals running without essential drugs, doctors or nurses, but the government is spending N15 trillion on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and N39 billion spent on the National Coverage Centre, which remains largely inaccessible to the public.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC questioned the rationale and legality of the project, noting that the airport underwent a major upgrade just three years ago.
According to the statement, the project is “another brazen act of fiscal recklessness and official insensitivity. It further confirms how far this All Progressives Congress (APC) government is removed from the reality of the suffering people of Nigeria.”
The party queried whether such a monumental sum had received the necessary approval from the National Assembly and raised concerns over the absence of a public breakdown of costs or any transparent procurement process.
“It is hard to understand how expending N712 billion on renovating an airport that already received significant upgrades in recent years makes fiscal sense in a country where public universities languish in austerity, where basic healthcare is a luxury and where millions are plunged into poverty by misguided government policies,” the ADC stated.
ADC pointed out that the MMIA already had a new international terminal commissioned in March 2022by then President Muhammadu Buhari.
It suggested that the N712 billion could be better spent on transformative projects that directly impact citizens, including building teaching hospitals, providing free basic education in multiple regions, implementing rural electrification or rehabilitating vital federal road infrastructure.
“We, therefore, demand the immediate suspension of this project, a full independent audit of the proposed spending, and a redirection of the funds to sectors that directly benefit the Nigerian people,” the party said.
It warned that continued fiscal irresponsibility in the face of widespread hunger, economic hardship, and insecurity could further erode public trust in government and deepen national discontent.
“A government that has struggled to justify its borrowing cannot afford such wasteful indulgences. Enough is enough. Let Nigeria work for the many, not just the privileged few,” the statement added.
Amid the backlash, Keyamo took to his X handle to address Nigerians’ concerns about the price, urging citizens to research the cost of recently built modern airports around the world.
The minister, however, said the government would be transparent in carrying citizens along as work on the project progresses.
He said: “I will encourage our compatriots to simply Google the cost of most modern airports built around the world in the last few years (including those in Africa like Angola, etc) and you will agree that the BPP that scrutinised and fixed the final cost of this project did a fantastic job for the nation.”
On reasons for the renovation, Keyamo stated: “Due to years of neglect and because the traffic over time quadrupled beyond its capacity, the building and facilities at Terminal One became totally decrepit. We have been engaged in some patch jobs over the years just to make it a bit presentable.
“What we simply want to do is to totally strip down that building, including the entire roof (leaving only the carcass), then re-design/reconfigure it and build a new airport for the nation to meet modern, international standards that can also cater for the increased traffic. Both wings D and E would be affected.”
