Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – A major fire outbreak gutted the old terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, destroying all weather forecasting equipment belonging to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), aviation authorities confirm.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, discloses this during an inspection of the facility on Tuesday, saying NiMet’s operational offices located on the upper floors are completely destroyed.
The blaze erupts around 3:30pm on Monday, injuring at least six people and temporarily trapping no fewer than 12 air traffic controllers and airport users before emergency responders evacuate them. No fatalities are recorded.
“Our NiMet offices and all equipment used for weather readings are totally gone,” Keyamo says. “Temporary arrangements are in place while we activate alternative stations nationwide.”
He confirms that parts of the structure remain unsafe, limiting immediate damage assessment, and reiterates plans to demolish the terminal as part of a broader reconstruction project scheduled to begin in August 2025 and last 22 months.
Despite the loss, the minister assures airlines and passengers that flight operations continue uninterrupted, supported by backup meteorological stations within NiMet’s national network.
Keyamo also commends the Lagos State Fire Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps for preventing the fire from spreading to critical airport infrastructure.
The incident accelerates evacuation plans from the aging terminal and renews concerns about infrastructure safety at Nigeria’s busiest airport.
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