Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on local and international investors to support the development of the proposed Lekki–Epe International Airport, describing it as a transformative project that will redefine Nigeria’s aviation landscape.
Speaking on Monday at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) National Aviation Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, the governor reaffirmed the state’s commitment to collaborating with the Federal Government, its aviation agencies, and private-sector partners to build a stronger, safer, and globally competitive aviation industry.
The conference, attended by President Bola Tinubu represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume also had in attendance Governors Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who represented Governor Dapo Abiodun. FAAN Board Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and other top industry stakeholders were present.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that the Lekki–Epe International Airport, an initiative of the Lagos State Government, has received full approval from the Federal Government to be developed as a public-private partnership project.
The airport is designed as a Code F-compliant facility capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Airbus A380. It will sit on 3,500 hectares of land, about 10 kilometres from the Lekki Free Trade Zone, with an initial passenger capacity of five million annually and room for modular expansion.
“This airport is not a vanity project,” Sanwo-Olu stated. “It is a strategic response to decongesting the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), building resilience, positioning Lagos as West Africa’s preferred aviation hub, and supporting the rapidly growing Lekki industrial corridor.”
He noted that the corridor already hosts the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Free Trade Zone, the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, and an emerging city built for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes.
Sanwo-Olu assured that Lagos will continue working hand-in-hand with FAAN, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other federal agencies to ensure both the new airport and MMIA stand as “models of what is possible when federal and sub-national governments pull in the same direction.”
Reaffirming his administration’s transport agenda, the governor said Lagos is building a fully integrated mobility system linking rail, road, water, and air.
He highlighted the progress recorded on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system, the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) and the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) and the recently unveiled plans for the Green Line, a 68-kilometre corridor stretching from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone. “We are developing a multi-modal transport backbone capable of moving over 20 million Lagos residents and millions more who come to do business with us,” he said.
In their separate contributions, Governors Hope Uzodinma, Babagana Zulum, and Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele (representing Governor Abiodun) highlighted the growing role of aviation in economic development, showcasing various state-led projects, including new airports, integrated transport systems, and investment opportunities across Imo, Borno, and Ogun States.
