Aviation ministry approves design for five-stop monorail to Lagos airport

Plans to run a rail line into Lagos's main international airport have moved a step forward. The design for a monorail connecting Ikeja Railway Station to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) has been approved, the aviation ministry and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said.

The approval came after a review by the ministry's permanent secretary, FAAN's managing director and engineers from both bodies. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo announced the approval.

For air travellers and workers in Lagos, the line could mean another way to reach the airport besides road transport, which is often slowed by traffic around Ikeja and the airport road.

Where the line would stop

The proposed route has five stations: Ikeja, Domestic Airport, Beesam, Toll Gate and MMIA Airport. Ikeja is the terminus of the Lagos Red Line, so the monorail would let passengers move between the city's rail network and the airport.

The final stop would serve the new Terminal 1, which is being rebuilt. FAAN said the work there includes structural repairs, redesigned passenger areas and upgrades to electrical, mechanical and security systems. Road access and links between terminals are also being changed.

FAAN's managing director, Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, said in October 2026 that talks on financing the airport rail project were at an advanced stage. The sources did not give a cost, a start date or a completion date, and it is not clear whether the approval covers construction or only the design.

What happens next

The project still depends on funding being agreed. Until then, the approval covers the design, not a finished railway. Nigerians will be watching for a cost estimate and a timeline, since the airport is the country's busiest and any disruption during construction would affect travellers.