Lagos Plans to Establish Airline and Construct Airport in Lekki

Lagos State is set to venture into airline business, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu hinted yesterday.

The state, he said, would soon begin the construction of its own airport in Lekki, a Lagos suburb which is fast-developing on the Epe axis.

Sanwo-Olu spoke during the Lagos West Senatorial District Town Hall meeting at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja, where he presented the scorecard of his administration to Lagosians.

He presented a catalogue of achievements in the West of Lagos.

The governor also attributed the delay in the kick-off of the ambitions 38-kilometre Fourth Mainland Bridge to funding challenges.

The bridge will connect Lagos Island across the Lagoon from Langbasa (Lekki) to Baiyeku, Itamaga in Ikorodu.

The 2 x 4 lane carriageway, with permission for Bus Rapid Transit Lane and future road contraction was designed to relieve traffic on the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland.

They are: Eko Bridge, Cater Bridge and the Third Mailand Bridge.

A one-time permanent secretary and retired Auditor- General for Local Government in the state, Pa Muhammed Hassan, believed Lagos was ripe to own an airline. He backed the governor’s proposal.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the airline business plan had been in the pipeline for months, with the state now finalising the financing model.

What is being considered is the Federal Government’s approval and operational contingency for the airline,” the governor said.

At the meeting, Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, took feedback from residents, who posed questions.

The governor noted that the input from the public was necessary to guide his government’s decision on planned programmes and interventions before their implementation.

He pointed out that his administration had completed and opened 42 new roads projects and two flyovers in the district, with the combined length of the infrastructure spanning over 72 kilometres.