₦50,000 Overnight Parking: Ogunjimi Tackles Keyamo Over MMIA Chaos
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A concerned Nigerian and legal practitioner, George Ogunjimi, has called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, to urgently address what he described as the chaotic parking and traffic situation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Ogunjimi, in an open letter addressed to the minister, said the worsening parking experience at Nigeria’s busiest airport had become more than an ordinary inconvenience, arguing that it reflects deeper concerns about organisation, accountability, passenger convenience and value for money within the airport system.
He said he was compelled to speak out following personal frustrations as a regular airport user, questioning how parking at one of Nigeria’s most important gateways had become such a difficult experience for motorists and passengers.
According to him, the situation becomes more troubling in view of the cost of parking at some airport facilities.
Ogunjimi specifically cited the published parking tariff at MMA2, where a saloon car is charged ₦3,500 for the first hour and an SUV ₦4,000, while subsequent hours attract ₦2,500. He also pointed to an overnight parking charge listed at ₦50,000.
“Fifty thousand naira for parking a vehicle overnight. One has to ask: what exactly are motorists paying for?” he queried.
He challenged the authorities to demonstrate how the increased charges translate into improved services, better congestion management and a more efficient experience for airport users.
“Raising a price is not the same thing as fixing a system,” Ogunjimi stated, stressing that increasing tariffs without addressing traffic flow, parking capacity, pick-up and drop-off arrangements, technology and general organisation would only deepen public frustration.
He urged the Minister of Aviation to personally intervene and ensure that the parking and traffic-management arrangements across the Murtala Muhammed Airport complex are subjected to a comprehensive public review.
Ogunjimi also called for greater transparency regarding the contracts and responsibilities of private operators involved in airport parking and traffic management.
He asked the ministry and relevant authorities to make public how parking tariffs are determined and to ensure that airport users are provided with clearly defined short-stay, long-stay, pick-up and drop-off facilities.
He further advocated the deployment of technology to reduce unnecessary human interference, clear display of parking charges before motorists enter facilities, as well as an effective complaints and refund mechanism.
According to him, airport users should also have an opportunity to make their concerns known whenever significant changes are proposed to parking charges.
Ogunjimi maintained that passengers and motorists should not be treated merely as sources of revenue, noting that the airport is one of the first points of contact between Nigeria and international visitors.
He said the experience of a visitor arriving in Lagos extends beyond the terminal itself to include roads, traffic management, immigration, baggage handling and parking arrangements.
“When that first encounter is confusion, congestion, aggressive traffic management and seemingly excessive charges, it sends a message about the country long before the visitor reaches a hotel or business meeting,” he said.
He noted that the situation could be particularly difficult for families travelling with children or elderly relatives, as well as drivers attempting to pick up arriving passengers or those rushing to catch flights.
The legal practitioner also questioned who bears ultimate responsibility for monitoring airport parking arrangements, determining whether charges are reasonable, investigating complaints and ensuring that commercial interests do not override passenger convenience.
“There may be private operators involved. There may be contractual arrangements. There may be operational explanations. Fine. But who ultimately answers to the Nigerian public?” he asked.
Ogunjimi urged Keyamo to go beyond official statements and personally inspect the situation at the airport.
“These questions cannot be answered with another press release. They require action,” he said.
He called on the minister to visit the airport, engage passengers, motorists, operators and officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and take immediate steps to resolve identified shortcomings.
According to him, Nigerians are not demanding luxury or preferential treatment but a basic and functional airport experience.
“Nigerians are asking for something remarkably modest: Pay a reasonable fee. Park your car. Find your way to the terminal. Pick up your passengers. Leave safely. It should not be this difficult,” he said.
Ogunjimi warned that the Murtala Muhammed Airport is too important to Nigeria’s economy and international reputation to continue experiencing avoidable chaos over basic parking and traffic-management arrangements.
“An airport that cannot get its parking and traffic management right cannot credibly present itself as a world-class aviation hub,” he stated.
He urged the minister to act before the growing frustration among airport users develops into another major public controversy.
“The ball is in your court, Mr Minister. What will you do about it?” Ogunjimi asked.
