Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA)

Nigeria's leading international airport, serving the Lagos metropolis and the wider West African region.

Two Terminals for Two Types of Traffic

The airport, often referred to locally as "the airport" or by its IATA code LOS, has two main terminals: the International Terminal (MMIA), handling long-haul flights to Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and other African capitals, and the MMA2 Domestic Terminal, run as a public-private partnership and dedicated to domestic routes to Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and other major Nigerian cities. This separation between international and domestic traffic requires connecting passengers to transfer between terminals, an important point of attention for travelers with a tight connection time.

Name, History, and Renovations

The airport is named after General Murtala Muhammed, Nigeria's head of state who was assassinated in 1976 after just seven months in power, honoring his role in the country's political history. Managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the airport has undergone several waves of renovation over the past decades to modernize its infrastructure and absorb the continuous growth in air traffic linked to Lagos's status as Nigeria's leading economic and demographic center. Located in Ikeja, close to Ikeja City Mall and the mainland's business districts, the airport nonetheless remains exposed to the metropolis's frequent traffic jams, so it is advisable to build in a significant safety margin when heading there during peak hours.

A New International Terminal Commissioned in 2022

After construction began in late 2013, the new international terminal (Terminal 2) was officially commissioned on March 22, 2022, by President Muhammadu Buhari, with an announced processing capacity of 14 million passengers per year. This modern facility was designed to address the growing saturation of the old terminal and significantly improve the experience of international travelers passing through Lagos, Nigeria's main air gateway.

Traffic Growth Testing Capacity Limits

MMIA's air traffic grew by 11.8% in 2025, the fastest growth recorded anywhere in Africa that year, with the airport handling more than 4.3 million annual international passengers. Some earlier projections had even anticipated overall traffic surpassing 7 million passengers in 2025 once Terminal 2 became fully operational. This rapid growth continues to strain aircraft parking and passenger processing capacity despite the new terminal coming online, illustrating the structural challenges Lagos's continued demographic and economic growth poses for its airport infrastructure.

Contact Information

• Address: Airport Road, Ikeja, Lagos
• Phone: +234 1 280 1400
• Official Website: https://faan.gov.ng