The Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has said the recent fire outbreak at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, underscores the urgency of ongoing aviation reforms and the need to reinforce safety systems across Nigeria’s airports.
Speaking after leading FAAN board members on an inspection of the affected facility, Ganduje described the incident as a serious setback but also a test of the resilience of the aviation sector.
According to him, the fire struck at the heart of FAAN’s core mandate — safety.
“Our core value in FAAN is safety; the safety of employees, passengers, equipment and infrastructure. This incident challenged that value”, he said.
While noting that the full investigation report is still being compiled, Ganduje acknowledged that several sensitive equipment were destroyed in the inferno. However, he emphasised that no lives were lost — a development he attributed to the swift emergency response and existing safety structures.
“We have seen the damage. A lot of very sensitive equipment has been destroyed, but no death was recorded. That is significant”, he stated.
The Board Chairman described the visit as a deliberate effort by the board to independently assess the situation and ensure accountability.
“We decided to be here to see for ourselves, because seeing is believing”, he said, adding that oversight remains a key responsibility of the board.
Ganduje further observed that the incident, though unfortunate, must serve as a catalyst for strengthening ongoing reforms in the aviation sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This is really affecting the aviation reform, but at the same time, it shows that our staff are equal to the task”, he said, pointing to the coordinated efforts of over 150 firefighters who battled the blaze until it was fully extinguished.
He commended the Managing Director and the management team for their response, noting that crisis management capacity is as critical as infrastructure development in modern aviation systems.
Beyond the fire scene, the board was also taken round the ongoing remodelling of the international terminal — a project Ganduje described as transformative.
“I thought I was in one of the well-developed foreign international airports. The quality of work is beautiful,” he remarked, expressing confidence that the upgrade would reposition Lagos as a competitive global gateway.
Ganduje also acknowledged the role of the media in keeping the public informed during the emergency, stressing that transparent communication is essential in maintaining public confidence in the aviation system.
As FAAN awaits the official report on the cause of the inferno, the Board Chairman maintained that the focus remains on restoring affected facilities, strengthening safety architecture, and ensuring that reform efforts continue without compromise.