Lagos, Nigeria — Members of the aviation oversight committees of Nigeria’s National Assembly on Thursday, February 26, 2026, held a closed-door meeting with airport authorities after inspecting damage caused by a fire at the international terminal of Lagos’ main airport.
The legislators, drawn from both the Senate and the House of Representatives committees responsible for aviation matters in Nigeria’s federal parliament, arrived at about 3:07 p.m. West African Time (WAT, GMT+1) at Terminal 1 of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria in West Africa. They first toured sections of the affected terminal before proceeding into a private session with the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the government agency that operates and manages the country’s airports.
The FAAN delegation was led by its Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku. As of the time this report was filed, the meeting was still ongoing.
The inspection followed a fire outbreak on Monday, February 23, 2026, which razed part of Terminal 1 and destroyed critical infrastructure and equipment. The incident has attracted national attention because Murtala Muhammed International Airport is Nigeria’s busiest international gateway, handling millions of passengers annually and serving as a major hub for travel across Africa and beyond.
The Chairman of FAAN’s Board of Directors, Abdullahi Ganduje, who is a former governor of Kano State in northern Nigeria, earlier expressed concern over the scale of damage, particularly to equipment belonging to two key aviation agencies: the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which provides weather information for flight operations, and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which is responsible for managing the country’s airspace and navigation services.
Ganduje said the board considered the incident serious from the moment it was reported and confirmed that investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
Speaking while assessing the damage at the terminal, he said, “There’s no doubt that when we heard about the fire outbreak at the International Airport here in Lagos, it was an issue of great concern, especially to the board members. We believe the core value of FAAN is safety, and this really affected the safety of the airport, including the safety of employees, passengers, equipment and other infrastructural facilities.
“We decided to be here in order to see things for ourselves. We have seen the damage that occurred, but at the same time, we have to congratulate the MD and her management team, especially the firefighters — over 150 of them — who were on the ground until the fire was completely extinguished. However, this is an unfortunate situation.
“From what we have seen, the firefighters did a lot of work. A lot of very sensitive equipment has been destroyed, but no lives were lost. I think the situation is under control now, but it’s unfortunate.”
Okay News reports that the fire has also raised concerns about the resilience of critical aviation infrastructure in Nigeria, particularly at a time when the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is pursuing reforms aimed at modernising the aviation sector and improving safety standards.
Although no casualties were recorded, the destruction of navigational and meteorological equipment could have operational implications if not swiftly replaced. Authorities have not yet announced the estimated financial cost of the damage, and investigators are continuing to examine the origin of the blaze.
The outcome of the closed-door meeting between lawmakers and FAAN management is expected to shape the next steps, including possible legislative oversight actions and recommendations to strengthen safety systems at federal airports across Nigeria.
