The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Hon. Abdullahi Garba, have commended the swift response of aviation authorities following the recent fire incident at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The lawmakers, who conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the airport two days after the incident, expressed gratitude that no lives were lost and praised the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other aviation agencies for their professionalism.
Buhari stated that the visit by members of both chambers of the National Assembly (NASS) underscored the federal government’s commitment to prioritising safety in the aviation sector.
“You know the present government has an intention to always achieve safety first. When this happened two days ago, we resolved to come here and do an on-the-spot assessment”, he said, explaining that the inspection was delayed by a prior budget defence engagement.
He noted that despite the disruption caused by the fire, airport authorities demonstrated a high level of preparedness and coordination. According to him, flights that were initially diverted, including the one to Malabo and an Emirates flight to Accra — were effectively managed, while major international carriers such as Emirates and Lufthansa were still able to land at MMIA shortly after midnight.
“That shows that the response was high and, as a result, we are very happy”, he said.
The Senate Committee Chairman, however, cautioned against speculation, stressing that investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing.
“We don’t want to pre-empt them, and that’s why we are not talking about sabotage or anything right now. We will allow them to do their internal investigations and there is also security who will eventually tell us what happened exactly. We can’t give a report in a situation where investigation is still ongoing”, he added.
Similarly, Garba echoed the call for patience as investigations continue.
“Just like my senior colleague just said, investigation is ongoing and we will wait for the same before anything coul
d be done on this development,” he stated.
He also praised the Managing Director of FAAN for her decisive leadership, noting that stability was restored at the airport within three hours of the incident.
“For the Managing Director, she has done very well because within just three hours she was able to achieve stability; that is a very good one”, Garba said.
The joint visit and positive assessment by the National Assembly committees highlight confidence in the aviation sector’s emergency response mechanisms, even as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the fire.