A coalition of civil society organisations has condemned the Nigerian government’s plan to spend N712 billion on the reconstruction of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. The group claims the allocation is “excessive” and ignores more urgent national priorities.
In a press statement on Thursday, the coalition argued that while infrastructure development is important, the scale of the expenditure is not justified given the country’s widespread poverty and recent upgrades to five other airports. They questioned how the project, funded by the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, aligns with the fund’s mandate to boost food security.
The statement highlighted a “misplacement of priorities,” noting that the budget for the single airport project is close to the annual budgets for agriculture and healthcare combined. It also accused the federal government of hypocrisy, stating that it is not practicing the fiscal discipline it preaches to state governors.
The coalition, which includes the Socio Economic Research and Development Centre, Grassroots Center for Rights & Civic Orientation and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, demanded that the N712 billion be reallocated to “more urgent and critical grassroots infrastructure projects” like rural roads and healthcare.
They also called on the Tinubu administration to publicly declare the total savings from the removal of fuel subsidies and to channel those funds toward projects that would benefit the majority of Nigerians. The group urged citizens to join them in rejecting “wasteful spending” and demanding greater accountability from their leaders.
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