PRESS RELEASE

BUHARI INAUGURATES NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL AT LAGOS AIRPORT, 43 YEARS AFTER ESTABLISHMENT

…Aviation project complements, redefines Lagos’ infrastructure narrative – Sanwo-Olu

…Lagos Government, FAAN seal partnership to develop new access roads to airport

Lagos State, Nigeria’s hub of commerce, is set to witness a rapid economic growth, as a major remodelling project undertaken by the Federal Government at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja comes to fruition.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, commissioned the newly built international terminal at the international airport, creating a new travel experience for air passengers passing through the Lagos international airspace.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu joined the president to unveil the new MMIA Terminal 2, designed and built under the ambitious rehabilitation programme of the Federal Ministry of Aviation in which 22 federal airports were marked for upgrade and remodelling.

At the occasion, Lagos State Government signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to construct ancillary road infrastructure that will create seamless vehicular connectivity to the airport through Alimosho axis.

The agreement gives legal backing and concession of right-of-way for the construction of a new perimeter expressway to link Shasha Road to the Airport Complex. The development is expected to decongest the existing Lagos-Abeokuta corridor, and reduce journey time in commuting to the airport.

Gov. Sanwo-Olu and Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, jointly supervised the signing of the agreement by the Lagos Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, and the FAAN Managing Director, Captain Rabiu Yadudu.

Other Lagos cabinet members at the MoU signing ceremony included the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, and Special Adviser on Public Private Partnership (PPP), Mr. Ope George.

Buhari said his administration fully understood the importance of airport infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and socio-economic development, which informed the Federal Government’s decision to prioritise the completion and delivery of five brand new international terminals, which were at 11 per cent progress level when he assumed office in 2015.

The president stressed that the construction of the new terminal aligned with his Government’s aviation roadmap developed in 2016 for the purposes of establishing critical infrastructure, including a national carrier, Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul Centre and improved airport terminals through concession, to boost aviation practice in line with global standards.

He said: “I am confident that the new terminal, with 66 check-in counters, 16 Immigration desks at arrival, 28 Immigration desks at departure, and eight security screening points, among others, will go a long way in contributing to the socio-political and economic prosperity of our great nation.

“This improvement will increase airport operations and management services to about 14 million passengers per annum, with the attendant positive multiplier effects, by creating about 3,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities for our youths, increase inflow of Foreign Direct Investments and exponential growth in the Gross Domestic Product.”

Sanwo-Olu, who described the delivery of the new air terminal as “long-overdue upgrade” to the nation’s flagship International airport, said President Buhari, by the achievement, had re-written the infrastructure narrative of Lagos, Southwest region, as well as the nation.

The Governor said the construction of Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail Line, upgrade of Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway, full rehabilitation Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and development of a world-class Creative Industries Park in Iganmu were a few of the landmark infrastructure brought to Lagos by the Buhari administration.

He said: “We are very grateful to the Federal Government, under President Buhari’s leadership, for seeing to the completion and commissioning of this brand new international terminal building, almost 43 years to the day the old terminal was built. Finally, our dear Lagos has an international airport terminal that is befitting, and that has the capacity to cope with the fast-growing flow of passenger traffic.

“The new terminal is a worthy complement to the various transportation and road infrastructure projects of the Lagos State Government, such as the Airport Road and flyover which you were delivered three years ago, and the Red and Blue Lines of our Light Rail network, which we are working very hard to deliver on as soon as possible.”

Speaking on the infrastructure MoU, Sanwo-Olu said the partnership with FAAN further testified to a new era of productive collaboration between Lagos and the Federal Government, which was not the case between 1999 and 2015.

The Governor said by President Buhari’s commitment, fairness and respectful leadership, Lagos infrastructure story had changed for the better, with the benefits emerging in terms of improved quality of life for the residents.

Sirika said the development of the new terminal was to achieve an efficient and rapid transportation network, which would make Nigeria to remain a key player in the global logistical ecosystem.

Aside facilitating international trade, commerce and tourism, the Aviation minister said improved air services that would be achieved would lead to creation of jobs and boost economy.

In the coming months, Sirika said there would be a partnership with the Lagos State Government on development of rail project to connect the nearby local airport to the new international terminal.

The new terminal is designed as a world-class aviation route, with the capacity to handle 18 million air passengers yearly. Offering best convenience for travellers, the facility was developed on an architectural acreage of 50,887 square metre.

It has 10 Extra-Low Voltage systems, three-dimensional multi-layer baggage sorting system, five arrival and six departure gates, seven boarding bridges, and over 2,000 seat spaces for passengers.

The perimeter expressway will be constructed in four phases across six local councils, with the first phase spanning a 9-km toll road from Shasha to the airport. There will be a toll-free alternative route from Shasha towards Agege Motor Road en route airport.

The second phase of the Lagos-FAAN road project will open the airport to northern connection on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. Other phases include linkage to Egbe, Isolo, Mushin and Okota roads.

Earlier, President Buhari commissioned Dangote Fertilizer Plant in Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), and inspected the ongoing construction of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

SIGNED

GBOYEGA AKOSILE

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

22 MARCH 2022                                  

AVIATION: PRESIDENT BUHARI DIRECTS FINANCE MINISTER TO LOOK FOR SPECIAL FUNDING FOR ABUJA AIRPORT SECOND RUNWAY, INAUGURATES NEW TERMINAL BUILDING AT MMIA

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday directed the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to look for special funding for the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Speaking at the inauguration of the new Terminal Building, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the President also directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to conclude the documentation of the approved 12,000 hectares of land to accommodate the runway and other developmental projects.

Further, the President tasked the Minister of Aviation to fast-track the airport concession programme, to boost aviation practice in the country and make the aviation industry reflect global standards.

The President noted that the completion and delivery of five brand new international airport terminals since 2015, which were at 11% completion level then, aligns perfectly with the Aviation Roadmap, developed in 2016, for the purposes of establishing critical infrastructure, including a National Carrier as well as maintenance, repairs and overhaul centre, and improved Airports Terminals through concession.

The President, who described the administration’s investments in inter-state rail connectivity, road networks, agriculture, power and telecommunications, despite limitations in resources, as unprecedented noted that robust initiatives have been complemented with specific fiscal policies to drive aviation infrastructure renaissance.

‘‘These include the designation of 4 airports, namely Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt as Free Trade Zones, in which customs duty is not applicable; removal of VAT on all forms of shared transportation, including air transportation; and exemption of commercial aircraft and spare parts from VAT payment.

‘‘Similar projects at both the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and Port Harcourt International Airport were completed and commissioned by this administration and our people have since been benefiting from the positive economic impacts of those magnificent terminals.

‘‘The one in Kano has also been completed, and will be commissioned soon, while work continues apace to complete that of Enugu shortly,’’ he said.

The President expressed confidence that the new terminal in Lagos with sixty-six check-in-counters, sixteen Immigration desks at arrival, twenty-eight Immigration desks at departure, and eight security screening points, among others, would go a long way in contributing to the socio-political and economic prosperity of the country,

He added that the improvement would increase airport operations and management services to about 14 million passengers per annum, create 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, increase inflow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and exponential growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He thanked the Government and People of the Republic of China, through the China Export-Import Bank and CCECC Nigeria Limited, (FAAN), for their commitment and support towards the completion of the project.

The President also commended the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its agencies, particularly, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, for working assiduously towards the realization of the project.

‘‘With the delivery of this project, a new era of safety, security, and comfort has been ushered into the Nigerian aviation industry, and I am persuaded that it will get better with the passage of time,’’ he said.

The Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu said it was instructive that Lagos State in one day had witnessed the evolution of three major infrastructure development projects that will change the Nigerian landscape while commending President Buhari for the infrastructural renewal and redevelopment necessary for a city like Lagos.

He lauded the private sector in the aviation industry for their continued contributions to the growth of the country despite the challenges.

The Governor informed the gathering that Lagos State Government was forming a partnership with FAAN towards ensuring that the new international terminal enjoys easy access which would be achieved by creating a bypass, the Airport – Alimosho Bypass Project, to create an alternative route to the airport.

The signing of the agreement for the partnership was later done by the officials of the Lagos State Government and FAAN.

In his remarks, Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said aviation is the worldwide rapid transportation network that facilitates international trade, commerce and tourism, the only medium for achieving continental integration and interaction towards achieving the AU Agenda 2063.

He commended the administration of President Buhari for efforts towards resolving the problems inherited in the aviation industry in 2015 such as lack of professionalism, scarcity of foreign exchange, obsolete equipment, poor facilities, blocked funds for airlines among others, adding that more still needed to be done.

The Minister said the airport concession project including the new terminals has reached an advanced stage with the Ministry issuing requests for shortlisted firms before the end of March.

According to the Minister, a study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Nigeria in 2020, “showed that the sector created 241,000 jobs, direct and indirect, and contributed $1.7billion to the economy,” with a hope to grow the contribution of the sector from the current 0.68% to 5% or approximately $14.16billion.

Senator Sirika gave assurances that the new terminal will be linked to the railway system.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 22, 2022

DESTABILIZATION: PDP GIVES ITSELF AWAY

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has given itself away as being interested only in the destabilization of the country, peradventure it could then sneak its way back to power.

Less than 24 hours after the Department of State Services (DSS) raised alarm about sinister plots by some elements to cause disorder in the land, using the energy crisis as a smokescreen, the PDP issued a statement, saying; “Our party fears that the situation is getting to a boiling point and can trigger a nationwide agitation that might be worse than the October 2020 EndSARS if not addressed immediately.”

Which patriotic political party or organization ever threatens its country with anarchy, social upheaval and disorderliness, except one still smarting from its snout being yanked from the honeypot, as happened to PDP in 2015?

But we wish to remind the now tepid opposition party that it was Nigerians that gave it the boot 7 years ago, and those same Nigerians have not forgotten the travails they experienced, at a time the country was awash with money: no power, no infrastructure, insurgents ran riot round the nation, and our collective patrimony was looted blind. Those same Nigerians are not ready for another PDP misrule, not now, and perhaps not for a long time to come.

Rather than plot and encourage “agitation worse than October 2020 EndSARS,” which it may well be conceiving, the PDP should work for harmony and cohesion in the country, if it ever understands such concept.

EndSARS signified murder, mayhem, mass destruction, even cannibalism. PDP now wishes Nigeria something worse.

A presidential aspirant of the PDP has warned that the party would die by 2023, unless it wins the Number One position in the country. And die it would, if the party wishes the country nothing except something worse than EndSARS.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

March 22, 2022

PRESIDENT DIRECTS TIMELY COMPLETION OF LEKKI DEEP SEA PORT, WANTS RAILWAY LINK TO THE HARBOR

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Lagos praised the efforts of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, towards making the Lekki Deep Sea Port a reality, and directed him to consult and bring up a memorandum to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to link the facility with the railway network.

As part of his engagements in Lagos, the President inspected the rate of work done at the first Deep Sea Port in Nigeria located in Lagos Free Zone, 65Km east of Lagos.

In the course of the inspection, the President received firm assurances that the port, which has a concession period of 45 years and sits in a land area of 90 hectares, will be completed on schedule by September.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 22, 2022

NIGERIA’S DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTED PRODUCTS TO END SOON, PRESIDENT BUHARI SAYS AT INAUGURATION OF DANGOTE’S 3M METRIC TONNES FERTILIZER PLANT

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday declared that Nigeria’s dependence on imported products in the agriculture sector will soon be a thing of the past with the inauguration of Dangote Fertilizer Plant, which has an installed capacity of 3.0 million metric tonnes of Urea per annum.

Speaking at the commissioning of the plant in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State, the President said the plant will further advance Nigeria’s drive towards achieving self-sufficiency in food production, create jobs, increase the inflow of foreign exchange and accelerate economic growth.

He commended the Chairman, Board and Management of Dangote Industries Limited for their business initiative in conceptualizing and building this plant, which is the second largest in the world.

The President expressed confidence that the investment in this plant will replicate the Group’s earlier exploits in the cement sector, where Dangote Cement holds the enviable record as our continent’s largest cement producer, with footprints in ten other African countries.

‘‘This new plant is a renewed testament to the widely acknowledged patriotism of Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the leadership of Dangote Industries Limited. It also demonstrates their commitment to the socio-economic development of our country and the well-being of our people.

‘‘The Group’s investment in integrated cement plants, spanning the value chain from quarry to ‘bagging, has effectively ended Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement products.

‘‘Along with the several other subsidiaries, Dangote Industries Limited has created thousands of jobs across Nigeria. It is the second biggest employer of labour in this country, after the Federal Government.

‘‘This is very pleasing because job creation by private sector operators is vital to security as it takes thousands of youths off the street,’’ he said.

On other benefits of the plant, the President expressed delight that with the commencement of exports to other countries including the United States, India, and Brazil, Nigeria is already gaining extensively in earnings of foreign exchange from the excess production of, and export from, the plant.

He noted that coming on stream of the plant had created huge opportunities in the areas of job creation, trade, warehousing, transport, and logistics, which would, in turn, create significant wealth, reduce poverty, and help in securing the future of the nation.

‘‘In the agricultural sector, another focal point of our economic policy, we expect a boom as fertilizer is now readily available in greater quantities and better quality.

‘‘Many Nigerians who hitherto practiced subsistence farming because of nonavailability of necessary inputs can now take up agriculture as a business.

‘‘We expect the rise of a new breed of agropreneurs who will add value to farming and make the nation self-sufficient in food production,’’ he said.

President Buhari used the occasion to reassure Nigerians that his government is focused on providing an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive, pledging continuity in improving infrastructure, power and security as well as enacting relevant laws and regulations to drive investments in the economy.

‘‘We are partnering with the private sector, through a tax credit scheme, in the rehabilitation of roads across Nigeria under Presidential Order No. 7.

‘‘As we know, good roads contribute to easy movement of goods and services across the nation, thus reducing the cost of doing business and improving productivity.

‘‘We are also rehabilitating our railway lines and building new ones to lessen the burden on our roads and create more effective multi-modal transportation networks,’’ he said.

‘‘I look forward to coming back to inaugurate the Refinery and petrochemical plant later in the year.

‘‘Projects of this magnitude and complexity require the support and collaboration of many persons and organisations. I am grateful to all of them.

‘‘In particular, I would like to commend the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Development Finance Institutions and the Local and Foreign Commercial Banks that have supported the investor to make these projects a reality,’’ the President declared.

Lauding Dangote for helping to rebrand Nigeria through his mega investments across Africa, President Buhari said:

‘‘He has fueled job-led growth and transformation of several African economies. I am proud of his contribution to affirming Nigeria’s leadership status in the continent, and I wish him many more successes in the future.’’

After the historic inauguration, President Buhari inspected the Group’s 650,000 barrels per day Petroleum Refinery and 900,000 tonnes per annum Polypropylene Plant sited within the Dangote Free Trade Zone Complex.

In his remarks, Dangote said the fertiliser complex, which occupies 500 hectares and built at a cost of $2.5 billion will drastically reduce the level of unemployment and youth restiveness in the country, through generation of direct and indirect employment.

”Agriculture accounts for over 20 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP, and the country is a leading producer of various agricultural commodities. The sector has the potential of becoming the biggest source of income for our Nation, providing employment and raw materials for industries.

”However, low fertilizer usage has been a major reason for low productivity in the sector. It is common knowledge that non availability of the product, in quantity and quality, rather than affordability, is the primary constraint to the use of fertilizer.

”Our goal is to make fertiliser available in sufficient quantities and quality for our teeming farmers assuring greater agricultural output,” he said.

The Chief Executive of Dangote Industries expressed immense gratitude to President Buhari, for his sustained support and encouragement, and for honoring the invitation to come, in person, and inaugurate the plant.

He also commended the leaders of the host communities and their people for providing a peaceful and conducive environment for the project to thrive, recognizing the many years of enthusiastic teamwork, labour, toil and sweat of the Management and Staff of Dangote Group for their commitment to high performance, perseverance and resilience.

The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recounted the role played by a former governor of the State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the establishment of the fertiliser plant and the refinery.

”The idea of having a free zone in the Ibeju Lekki was conceived by our leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

”I was with him in 2003, when we took a trip to China and we were trying to conceive a free zone and this is where we are.

”The free zone is not only home to the largest fertilizer plant in Africa but will certainly be home to the largest refinery,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He thanked the President for coming to Lagos, adding that he looked forward to receiving him in a few months’ time to commission more projects.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 22, 2022