Lagos Begins Work On N71billion Airport

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The Lagos State Government has begun work on the Lekki-Epe International Airport, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, which will gulp N71 billion.

The airport is to complement the activities of the Lekki Free Trade Zone as well as provide alternative air transport services in the state.

Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Olusola Oworu, disclosed this on Wednesday at a ministerial news conference, saying that the state government had successfully obtained the site approval for the airport from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and had also completed the master plan on the 3,500 hectares of land earmarked for the project.

Oworu explained that the airport was designed to handle about five million passengers annually with provision for a modular terminal for future expansion, adding that preliminary work on the project had commenced with the clearing of 4.5 km of the access road and 9km of perimeter road.

She said that this was in furtherance of its objective to make the Lekki Free Trade Zone, LFTZ, a fully functional investment haven.

The commissioner also reiterated that the Lekki Free Zone project was a reality as it had so far attracted key players, particularly in the oil and gas sector with a greater prospect of attracting more investors as its development progresses, especially with the provision of power.

“A further testimony to the development of the zone is the interest expressed by the Federal Government through the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to establish a pioneer hydrocarbon industry park, which would comprise a green field refinery, petrochemical, fertilizer and power plant within the zone. The State has earmarked 1500 hectares of land for this purpose out which 550 hectares will be released for the development of the refinery and power plant.

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“A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the NNPC to this effect. The refinery is designed to have a refining capacity of between 200,000 – 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day. When completed, it would help to shore up the domestic refinery capacity and close the prevailing demand – supply gap for petroleum products in the country.”

On the LFTZ, the commissioner said presently, the state government was developing the first phase of the zone measuring 3,000 hectares in collaboration with a Chinese consortium.

“I am pleased to report that the administrative complex has been completed and commissioned to demonstrate the state government’s commitment to the early commencement of activities at the Zone. This complex would serve as a one-stop service centre addressing enquiries and concerns on issues relating to activities at the zone.

“As I speak, 87 staff en-suite quarters, 3 VIP apartments and 22 guest houses/dormitories have been completed; 8 paved roads totalling 12km, earth road of 5.5km of stabilised access roads and 2 drainages totalling 0.96km have also been constructed.

“There has been a reclamation of over 1.5km of land for startup area; three standard factories and a warehouse of 2,970 sq. metres have been constructed; three deep boreholes for intermediate water supply are ready for use; three hectares of beautified green areas have been established; over 150 solar-power street lights have been installed; agreement to provide 2MW solar power in 10 months have been signed and bids for 10-12 MW of power in the short-term is also in progress while over 100 hectares of land have been subscribed to by investors,” she said.

“Presently, 73 enterprises have signed MOUs, 12 have signed investments agreement while 53 others have registered and are in the process of completing their documentation. In general, vast construction works are in progress at the zone in line with the company’s workplan,” she added.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga

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