The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has explained the reason behind the absence of wifi in Nigerian international airports.
Speaking on Channels Television, Keyamo revealed that a turf war between two government agencies, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was the main stumbling block.
“When I assumed office, I was shocked to find that the delay was due to a back-and-forth argument,” Keyamo said. “NAMA believed Wi-Fi falls under its mandate because it handles all navigation, communication, and radio equipment. But FAAN insisted Wi-Fi is infrastructure, which is within their domain.”
The bureaucratic deadlock dragged on until late 2023, when Keyamo stepped in and resolved the matter. “I ruled that FAAN should step back and NAMA should handle the Wi-Fi rollout going forward,” he said.
However, by then, it was too late to include the project in the 2024 budget.
The good news? Keyamo confirmed that Wi-Fi provision has now been captured in the 2025 budget. He assured travellers that Terminal 2 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos will have functioning Wi-Fi by the end of next year.
To ensure smooth execution, the ministry is working on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to implement the project efficiently and sustainably.
Until then, passengers may still have to rely on mobile data or offline patience while travelling through Nigeria’s major gateways.
