ADC Slams Tinubu Administration Over ₦712 Billion Lagos Airport Renovation, Calls Project Wasteful and Unjustified
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised the Bola Tinubu-led administration for approving over ₦712 billion for the renovation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, describing the expenditure as wasteful, unjustified, and lacking transparency.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC labelled the decision as “fiscal recklessness and official insensitivity,” especially given Nigeria’s current economic struggles and pressing infrastructure needs.
The backlash follows the approval of ₦712.3 billion for the airport’s rehabilitation under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, as announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo, after last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. According to Keyamo, this marks the first major upgrade to the airport’s old terminal since its construction.
However, the ADC questioned the necessity and legality of such a massive expenditure. “It is hard to understand how expending ₦712 billion into renovating an airport that already received significant upgrades in recent years makes fiscal sense in a country where public universities wallow in chronic austerity and basic healthcare is out of reach for many,” the statement read.
The party pointed out that a brand-new terminal at the same airport was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari in March 2022, boasting 66 check-in counters, seven jet bridges, advanced cooling systems, a 22-room hotel, and a capacity to process 14 million passengers annually. Yet, as of 2024, the airport processed only 6.5 million passengers — less than half its stated capacity.
“Is it this same airport that is now scheduled for renovation, or another one?” the party queried. “The inescapable conclusion is either the previous APC government misled Nigerians about its achievements, or this current government is about to pour billions into a project that already exists.”
The ADC also raised constitutional concerns over the lack of legislative oversight and public scrutiny. “Perhaps more troubling is that this massive expenditure has not received any backing from the National Assembly and is absent from any approved national budget,” the party stated. “Is this how the government spends close to a trillion naira — without appropriation, transparency, or accountability?”
The party further compared the proposed airport renovation budget to other critical national needs, arguing that ₦712 billion could instead fund transformative development such as:
- Building over seven state-of-the-art teaching hospitals,
- Providing free basic education in three geopolitical zones for five years,
- Electrifying thousands of rural communities, or
- Rehabilitating extensive networks of federal roads and bridges.
Calling on Nigerians to reject the project, the ADC demanded its immediate suspension, a comprehensive independent audit of the proposed budget, and the redirection of funds toward initiatives that would directly improve citizens’ lives.
“This kind of reckless spending amid worsening hunger, hardship, and insecurity will only deepen the trust gap between the government and the governed,” the party warned. “Any administration that continues on this path risks losing the moral justification for further borrowing.”