The ADC condemns Tinubu’s approval of N712bn Lagos airport renovation as reckless, urging project suspension, full audit, and redirection of funds to key sectors

N712bn Lagos airport renovation has triggered strong criticism from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which described the expenditure as extravagant and detached from Nigeria’s pressing realities.

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In a statement issued Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC condemned the Bola Tinubu-led administration’s approval of ₦712.3 billion for the upgrade of Murtala Muhammed International Airport under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.

“This is another brazen act of fiscal recklessness and official insensitivity,” the party said.

“It shows how disconnected this APC government is from the reality of the suffering Nigerian masses.”

The renovation, announced by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo after the July 31 Federal Executive Council meeting, is set to overhaul Terminal One—built in 1979 and reportedly in a state of disrepair.

But the N712bn Lagos airport renovation drew widespread concern, especially as the same airport received a new international terminal in 2022 under the Buhari administration, with advanced features and capacity for 14 million passengers annually.

According to the ADC, that terminal processed just 6.5 million passengers in 2024—less than half its capacity.

“What the aviation sector needs is not another gold-plated terminal,” the party stated, “but proper maintenance, operational efficiency, and the expansion of regional airports to enhance real connectivity.”

The party also questioned the lack of National Assembly involvement and budgetary approval, warning that approving such vast sums without legislative scrutiny breaches constitutional standards.

“Is this how the government now spends close to a trillion naira—without appropriation, without scrutiny, and without consent from the Nigerian people?” the ADC asked.

It highlighted that the N712 billion—equivalent to about $500 million—matches the cost of four entire airport projects built in 2014 with an unserviced Chinese loan.

The ADC called for a full suspension of the project, a transparent breakdown of the cost, and an independent audit.

It proposed alternative uses for the funds: building teaching hospitals, funding free education, electrifying rural communities, or fixing thousands of kilometres of federal roads.

“This money could deliver life-changing projects across multiple sectors instead of padding the elite comfort of a few,” it added.

The party warned that such massive spending amid hunger, unemployment, and insecurity would only widen the gap between citizens and the government.

In defence, Keyamo clarified that the project involves a complete redesign and rebuilding of the aging terminal, whose structural integrity has deteriorated after decades of overuse and patch repairs.

“We’re not polishing the old; we’re rebuilding it to international standards,” he said.