Lagos sets 2027 for Epe International Airport construction

Lagos State plans to begin construction of the proposed Epe International Airport in 2027. No groundbreaking date within that year has been fixed, and no detailed construction timetable has been released.

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress disclosed the timeline in a statement, citing assurances from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat.

What the government said

According to the party, Sanwo-Olu announced the construction timeline during a governorship campaign event in Epe. Hamzat reaffirmed the administration's commitment to the project and said significant progress had been made on the preliminary documentation and groundwork required for the airport.

Lagos APC spokesman Mogaji Seye Oladejo described the airport as a major infrastructure investment capable of turning Epe into an important aviation, industrial and commercial destination.

He said the project would complement existing investments along the Lekki-Epe corridor, including the Dangote Refinery, the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Oladejo said the airport would strengthen transportation links, ease international trade and draw more investment into the corridor. It is also expected to create jobs, support tourism and improve access to emerging industrial and commercial centres.

Political roots and a naming proposal

Oladejo traced the development of the Lekki-Epe economic corridor to initiatives introduced when President Bola Tinubu was governor of Lagos. He said successive administrations, including those of Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, sustained infrastructure development and planning that helped advance the airport proposal.

The party also credited the Sanwo-Olu administration with strengthening the corridor's investment potential through ongoing infrastructure projects. Oladejo said the airport would form part of an integrated transportation and industrial network supporting Lagos' long-term economic expansion.

He urged the government to make sure communities around the proposed airport benefit directly from its development, listing employment, skills acquisition, improved infrastructure and inclusive economic opportunities as priorities for residents.

Oladejo also proposed naming the airport after President Tinubu in recognition of his contributions to the corridor's development. The suggestion remains a proposal. No official decision has been announced.

What it means for business

An airport at Epe would sit beside a corridor already carrying the Dangote Refinery, the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Lekki Deep Sea Port, giving cargo and passenger traffic a direct air link to the industrial belt. For businesses along the axis, that could shorten logistics chains and open freight routes beyond Lagos.

The caveat is timing. With only a year given and no groundbreaking date or construction schedule, the 2027 target remains an announcement rather than a contract. Aviation projects in Nigeria have slipped on timelines before, and the financing model for this one has not been disclosed.

If construction does begin as planned, the project would mark another step in expanding Lagos' aviation infrastructure and strengthening Epe's position as an emerging investment destination.