Contractors yet to commence work 8 weeks after Lagos runway shut down

Contractors are yet to move to site, eight weeks after the management of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had shut down the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos runway for repairs, BusinessDay’s findings show.

Barely four months after FAAN reopened the 18L (domestic) runway of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, for extensive repairs, the authority in March 2023 also shut down the 18R (international) runway for the same purpose.

FAAN in its verified tweeter handle had said that the runway would be shut for eight weeks to allow its maintenance.

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However eight weeks after, BusinessDay’s findings show that contractors were yet to move to site, which shows the closure of the runway may continue for weeks.

An airline captain who craved anonymity told BusinessDay “International” runway as it is fondly referred to in Lagos, runway 18R, that has been shutdown (unavailable) for eight weeks for repairs, was yet to be repaired and contractors have not been deployed to commence work.

“We discovered that the contractors are yet to even move to site, yet it is due to be returned to service on the 30th of May. The more you see, the less you understand, where has that money gone?” the captain stated.

While flight operations have not been affected by the closure because airlines have had to use the domestic runway, all international and local flights have had to adjust to using just one runway for flight operations.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.