Keyamo gives green light for Lagos airport monorail design

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has approved the design of a new monorail. This monorail will link Ikeja Railway Station in Lagos to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).

The project aims to connect the airport to the Lagos Red Line rail network. This will give passengers and others using the airport another option besides road transport.

Mr Keyamo shared the news on Tuesday after meeting with the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, and engineering teams from both the ministry and FAAN.

In a post on X, the minister said the new line will feature five stations. It will run from Ikeja Railway Station to the international airport’s Terminal 1, which is currently being rebuilt.

The proposed stations include Ikeja Station, Domestic Airport Station, Beesam Station, Toll Gate Station, and MMIA Airport Station.

“The monorail is a key part of the reconstruction of the nation’s major gateway at MMIA in Lagos,” Mr Keyamo said.

This design approval comes after earlier announcements from the Federal Government about plans to extend rail services from Ikeja to both the domestic and international terminals of the airport.

In June, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the government was working with the Lagos State Government to extend the current rail network to the airport and improve connectivity.

Recently, Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, the managing director of FAAN, mentioned that discussions on financing the airport rail link are at an advanced stage.

While speaking at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, Portugal, on 18 October, Ms Onabanjo-Kuku said efforts were ongoing to finalize the project’s financing structure.

The planned rail link is expected to connect the airport’s three terminals to the Red Line. This is part of a larger effort to modernize the airport.

This new rail connection is part of broader plans to enhance facilities at the Lagos airport and make passenger movement easier.

Terminal 1 of the international airport is undergoing reconstruction. Other infrastructure upgrades aim to improve airport operations and the experience for passengers.

The airport is a major gateway for international travel to and from Nigeria. Access to its terminals is very important for passengers and other users.