The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has announced plans to shut down Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, from March 2026 as part of an extensive rehabilitation and expansion programme.
The authority said the temporary closure, expected to take effect in about one month, is necessary to address persistent structural, electrical and operational challenges associated with the ageing terminal.
FAAN disclosed the plan in a statement shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, while reacting to a recent power outage at the terminal, which disrupted airport operations.
According to the authority, the outage was caused by a fault in the power changeover circuit supplying electricity to Terminal 1.
“The challenges experienced at Terminal 1 are largely due to long-standing infrastructure limitations,” FAAN said.
“As preparations are underway to shut down the terminal in one month under the MMIA Rehabilitation and Expansion Project, it is not feasible to deploy permanent backup power equipment at this stage.”
FAAN explained that the planned shutdown would enable comprehensive reconstruction works, shifting from temporary fixes to long-term, sustainable solutions.
The authority recalled that on September 4, 2025, it officially commenced reconstruction activities at the Lagos airport, following the approval of N712 billion by the Federal Executive Council in August 2025 for the refurbishment and modernisation of Terminal 1.
Speaking earlier on the project, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the initiative is aimed at fully upgrading the terminal to meet modern international aviation standards.
“The focus of this project is the complete rehabilitation, upgrade and modernisation of Terminal 1 to bring it in line with global best practices,” Keyamo said.
FAAN also revealed that since the commencement of the rehabilitation process, temporary workspaces have been constructed for airline operators and service providers currently using the terminal.
While apologising to passengers, airlines and other stakeholders affected by the recent power disruption, the authority acknowledged that similar incidents had occurred in the past due to obsolete infrastructure at the facility.
“We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused by the recent outage,” FAAN said.
“Our commitment remains to deliver a safer, more reliable and passenger-friendly airport environment.”
Power supply disruptions at the Lagos international airport have been a recurring issue. In 2024, FAAN confirmed a major blackout at the facility, which left passengers stranded and affected flight operations.
FAAN assured stakeholders that the planned closure and rehabilitation of Terminal 1 would significantly improve service delivery and operational efficiency upon completion.
