The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has announced plans to shut down Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in March as part of ongoing infrastructure rehabilitation and expansion works.
The planned closure, expected to take effect in about one month, is aimed at addressing long-standing structural and operational deficiencies at the ageing terminal.
In a post on its official X handle on Sunday, the authority acknowledged the incident, which it attributed to a fault in the changeover circuit supplying electricity to the terminal.
On 4 September 2025, FAAN announced that reconstruction works had officially commenced at the airport. Earlier in August, the Federal Executive Council approved N712bn for the refurbishment and modernisation of Terminal 1 of the MMIA.
Announcing the approval, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, said the project’s centrepiece is the full rehabilitation, upgrade and modernisation of the terminal to meet modern international standards.
Since September, The PUNCH gathered that FAAN has been building a temporary workspace for airline staff and other service providers using the concerned terminal.
The authority apologised to passengers and stakeholders affected by the disruption caused by last weekend’s power outage in the terminal, stressing that the recurring challenges at Terminal 1 are linked to its obsolete infrastructure.
“While we continue to implement measures to mitigate such events, Terminal 1 has long-standing infrastructure limitations. As we prepare to shut down Terminal 1 in one month as part of the MMIA Rehabilitation and Expansion Project, it is not feasible to install permanent new or additional backup equipment at this time.”
FAAN said the forthcoming shutdown would allow for comprehensive rehabilitation works, moving the airport away from temporary fixes to more sustainable, long-term solutions.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines and other stakeholders for their patience and cooperation, reaffirming its commitment to delivering a safer, more reliable and passenger-friendly airport experience.
Power outages at the Lagos International Airport are not new. In 2024, FAAN confirmed a major blackout at the facility that left passengers stranded and operations disrupted.
