Sanwo-Olu, Chinese firm meet over Lekki airport

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, met with the management team of the China Airport Construction Company on Friday at its headquarters in Beijing, China.

He stressed that the state is desirous of building and completing its Lekki airport project as soon as possible.

The governor stated this during his visit to the Beijing Subway, specifically to inspect the signalling system in use in the capital city.

CACC in turn said the company possessed the essential capabilities to assist Lagos State in attaining its envisioned objective.

This was according to a statement from the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile.

Sanwo-Olu was received by the top management of the company, led by the General Manager, Mr Tang Zhu.

He expressed the state government’s desire to also have train operations with a signalling system that brings in the best with efficiency, safety, security, and the best technology that is available.

On the airport construction, Sanwo-Olu said, “We have a plan in Lagos to build our airport.

“We plan to see if we can identify partners—real partners who understand our market, seek the potential of our market, and appreciate that it is a market that has the potential to grow and take the lead.

“We are the most active and financially capable state in the country (Nigeria). So, it is something that we can develop further. A few other airports have also approached us.

“We haven’t made any final decisions yet. We are hoping that we will be able to do that in the next couple of months so that we can push things forward.”

In its presentation, the company stated its readiness to partner with the state to realise the airport construction project.

It read further, “The company expressed willingness to partner with the Lagos State Government to realise Governor Sanwo-Olu’s vision of constructing a brand-new airport in the Lekki area of the state.

“We have been following the development trajectory of Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole, noting that the country is rated highly in Africa, socially and economically.

“The company has the necessary wherewithal to help Lagos State achieve its desired goal.”

Earlier, Sanwo-Olu had said on Thursday that his trip to China was to finalise plans on the state’s rail projects, adding that he also discussed “the Fourth Mainland Bridge” project, “which will begin shortly.”

The Beijing Subway covers over 800 kilometres of train connectivity across the city, with over 40 rail lines and more than 500 train stations.

The subway has also been running efficiently since its establishment over 55 years ago.

The governor stated that his government has identified the train system as a driver for the state’s economic value and, at the same time, a veritable source of movement for the masses from various parts of the city.

He added that the state government will continue to strengthen collaborations with companies around the world for effective delivery of infrastructural development in Lagos State.

“We want to ensure that in Lagos, we bring in the very best with efficiency, safety, security, and the best technology that is available.

“Train movement is going to be the solution that we believe will help us improve economic value and be able to move the population that we have in the city from one point to the next,” he said, according to the statement.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said on January 2, 2024, that the state government would focus on completing ongoing projects across the state in the New Year.

Omotosho had noted that the “ambitious N2.2tn budget” would be utilised judiciously for infrastructure development, among which hospitals and the new Lekki airport would be prioritised.

Three days later, the commissioner said the airport, when completed, would accommodate 350 aircraft and transport five million air travellers annually.

He also noted that the state government was in talks with investors to partner with it in the construction of the Lekki-Epe International Airport.

Akosile’s statement noted that Sanwo-Olu is accompanied on the trip by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi; Chairman, House Committee on Transportation, Temitope Adewale; and Chairman, House Committee on Environment parastatals, Rasheed Shabi.

Others include the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, and the Director of Rail Transport, Mr Olasunkanmi Okusaga, among others.