NASS AVIATION COMMITTEES HOLD CLOSED-DOOR MEETING AFTER INSPECTING MMIA FIRE DAMAGE

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Members of the Aviation Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) following an inspection of the damage caused by Monday’s fire at Terminal 1 of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

The lawmakers arrived at the Lagos airport at about 3:07 p.m. and toured sections of the affected terminal before proceeding into a private session with FAAN’s management team, led by the Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku.

As of the time of filing this report, the meeting was still ongoing.

The fire incident, which occurred on Monday, razed a section of Terminal 1, destroying critical infrastructure and equipment and drawing widespread attention from stakeholders across the aviation sector.

Earlier, the Chairman of FAAN’s Board of Directors, Abdullahi Ganduje, expressed concern over the loss of equipment, particularly assets belonging to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Ganduje described the incident as deeply concerning to the board, noting that investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. He also said the development had implications for ongoing aviation sector reforms under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“There’s no doubt that when we heard about the fire outbreak at the International Airport here in Lagos, it was an issue of great concern, especially to the board members,” he said. “We believe the core value of FAAN is safety, and this really affected the safety of the airport, including the safety of employees, passengers, equipment and other infrastructural facilities.”

He commended the FAAN management and more than 150 firefighters who battled the blaze until it was extinguished, noting that although sensitive equipment was destroyed, no lives were lost.

“I think the situation is under control now, but it’s unfortunate,” Ganduje added.

Details later….