The Federal Government has approved the design of a proposed five-station monorail project that will connect Ikeja Railway Station to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the development as part of efforts to improve transportation access to the country’s busiest international airport.
The proposed monorail is expected to provide an alternative means of transportation for air passengers, airport workers and other commuters, while improving connectivity between Lagos’ rail network and the airport.
According to the project details, the route will run from Ikeja Railway Station, which serves the Lagos Red Line, to Terminal 1 of the international airport.
The five proposed stations are Ikeja Station, Domestic Airport Station, Beesam Station, Toll Gate Station and MMIA Airport Station.
The project is expected to ease access to the airport and reduce passengers’ dependence on road transportation, particularly in a city where traffic congestion frequently affects travel times.
The approval followed a meeting involving Keyamo, officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, and engineering teams from both institutions.
The development builds on earlier government plans to extend rail services from Ikeja to the airport’s domestic and international terminals, improving connections between air travel and public transportation in Lagos.
FAAN had also disclosed that discussions on financing the proposed airport rail link were at an advanced stage.
However, the latest approval relates to the project’s design. The government has not announced an official construction commencement date, the total project cost or a completion timeline.
When implemented, the proposed monorail could provide air travellers with a more convenient alternative to road transport and strengthen the connection between Lagos’ railway network and Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The project is expected to complement the ongoing reconstruction of the airport’s Terminal 1 and wider efforts to modernise facilities at one of Nigeria’s most important aviation gateways.
