Stuck in Lagos traffic on your way to catch a flight? That nightmare could soon be over.

According to cbinews.tv, the Federal Government has confirmed plans to extend the existing Lagos rail line all the way into Murtala Muhammed Airport – covering both the local and international terminals.

Here’s the gist. Right now, the rail stops at Ikeja Bus Stop. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, says they’re working with the Lagos State Government to push that line further. The idea? Take the train straight to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), roll through MMA2 run by Bi-Courtney, and end up at the international wing.

Keyamo dropped the news on Monday at the Invest Lagos 3.0 event, which The Guardian monitored. And it makes sense when you look at the numbers – about 67% of all air passengers in Nigeria go through Lagos airport. That’s two-thirds of the country’s air traffic squeezing through MMA.

The bigger play here is positioning Lagos as Africa’s top aviation hub. Keyamo reckons Lagos has a proper geographical advantage. He put it like this: “Just six hours across the Atlantic, you will get to South America from the Lagos airport. Six hours down, you’ll get to Southern Africa. Six hours to the Middle East, you’ll get to Dubai or Qatar. Six hours up, you will get to Europe, either France or London.” Basically, Lagos sits right in the middle of everything. The goal is to catch up with hubs like Addis Ababa and Lome.

It’s not just about the train, though. The Tinubu administration has already pumped about $500 million into rebuilding the demolished international terminal at Lagos airport. That terminal’s roughly 50 years old, so a facelift is overdue if we want world-class passenger and cargo facilities.

Nigeria now has seven international airports, with Victor Attah International Airport and Maiduguri International Airport recently added to the list. Keyamo also pointed out that the long-running legal tussle between BASL and the FG has been resolved – a signal to private investors that government is serious about partnership.

And for investors eyeing opportunities, he flagged the proposed airport project in the Lekki-Epe corridor being pushed by Lagos State.

So yes, the rail extension “is about to start,” in Keyamo’s words. If it all comes together, getting to the airport might finally be the easiest part of your trip.

Source: cbinews.tv

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