AIC Limited land dispute intensifies as FAAN expands Lagos airport on contested land despite ongoing court orders and unresolved legal proceedings

AIC Limited land dispute has resurfaced after nearly three decades, as fresh construction work at Murtala Muhammed International Airport rekindles tensions between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the estate of late businessman Harry Akande.

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At the centre of the controversy lies a parcel of land leased to AIC Limited in 1998 for a world-class hotel and resort project.

Despite ongoing legal proceedings and subsisting court orders, FAAN has reportedly begun expansion works on the disputed site—part of its ambitious ₦712bn airport modernisation scheme.

Legal representatives of AIC Limited, led by Professor A.B. Kasunmu (SAN), issued a formal warning to FAAN in August 2025.

The letter accused the authority of contempt, citing a Federal High Court order in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/90/2013, which instructed both parties to maintain the status quo.

FAAN has yet to issue an official statement, and efforts to contact its spokesperson were unsuccessful.

The AIC Limited land dispute stretches back over 25 years, involving courtroom battles in Lagos, arbitration panels in London, and enforcement attempts in the UK.

At one point, an arbitration panel chaired by Justice Kayode Esho awarded AIC $48 million in damages.

FAAN challenged this award in Nigeria, but AIC pursued enforcement in the UK courts, where it eventually secured a favourable ruling in 2020.

While FAAN insists the land is essential to Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, AIC maintains that its lease remains valid and that due process must be followed before any development occurs.

The renewed conflict not only threatens to stall ongoing upgrades at the Lagos airport but also highlights the deeper dysfunction in infrastructure-related legal enforcement in Nigeria.

As works continue at the international terminal, stakeholders now await FAAN’s response—whether it will pause development pending resolution or risk further legal and reputational setbacks.

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One thing remains certain: the AIC Limited land dispute is far from over, and the outcome may shape future public-private partnerships in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Source: Read more at theheute.com.ng