Keyamo
Olamilekan Abayomi
The Federal Government is moving to directly link Lagos’ rail network to Murtala Muhammed Airport, aiming to fix one of the biggest pain points for air travelers in Nigeria: getting to and from the terminals. Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo announced the plan on Monday, June 9, 2026, at the Invest Lagos 3.0 summit at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island. The project will extend the existing Lagos Red Line from its current terminus at Ikeja Bus Stop straight into the airport complex, connecting the General Aviation Terminal, MMA2 operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, and the international wing.
Keyamo said the extension is a joint effort with the Lagos State Government and is “about to start”. The goal is to create seamless multimodal connectivity so passengers can move from rail to plane without battling the notorious Oshodi-Ikeja traffic corridor. For an airport that handles about 67% of Nigeria’s total air passenger traffic, reducing friction on the ground is critical to its competitiveness. The Red Line, inaugurated for passenger service in 2024, runs 37km from Agbado to Oyingbo and is already being expanded toward Okokomaiko. Bringing it into MMA ties the rail system directly into the country’s busiest aviation hub.
The benefits go beyond passenger convenience. Industry stakeholders say the rail link will cut travel time reliability for airport workers, reduce dependence on road transport, and ease chronic congestion around the airport axis. It also complements Lagos’ wider transit build-out: the Blue Line moved 3.5 million passengers in 2025, with daily ridership up to 15,000. Keyamo framed the rail extension as part of Lagos’ “next big step” in aviation, positioning the city as Africa’s leading aviation and logistics hub. Multimodal links are key to attracting investment and boosting efficiency across the sector.
Funding and infrastructure upgrades are happening in parallel. The Federal Government has committed about $500 million to reconstruct and modernize the old terminal at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Keyamo used the Invest Lagos platform to pitch local and foreign investors on opportunities across Nigerian aviation, from terminal operations to logistics. The message: physical infrastructure and policy are aligning to make Lagos more bankable. Extending rail into the terminals signals that the government wants to match airport upgrades with last-mile connectivity.
Implementation will require tight coordination between the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Lagos State. Discussions are already underway to kick-start the project. The proposed alignment runs from Ikeja Bus Stop to GAT, through MMA2, then to the international terminal. Because MMA2 is privately operated by BASL, the extension will also test public-private integration in airport transport. Keyamo noted that a 20-year dispute with a private investor over the Lagos airport was recently resolved under President Tinubu, clearing the way for projects like this.
If delivered, the rail-airport link would change how millions experience Lagos airport each year. Direct rail access means predictable journey times, lower transport costs, and less gridlock around Ikeja and Ajao Estate. It also strengthens the business case for Lagos as a regional transfer hub, since connecting passengers could move between flights and the city center without cars. For a state that accounts for two-thirds of Nigeria’s air traffic, that kind of infrastructure is less a convenience and more a necessity for growth.
