‘Nigeria deserves better’ — Betty Akeredolu criticises state of Lagos airport facilities

By Boye Oyeyemi –

Former First Lady of Ondo State, Dr Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has criticised the poor state of facilities at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2, Lagos, saying the experience showed that Nigeria deserves better.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Anyanwu-Akeredolu recounted a distressing arrival at the airport on January 8 after flying from Owerri to Lagos aboard a fully booked United Nigeria Airlines flight.

She narrated that passengers waited for more than two hours to collect their luggage, noting that only one conveyor belt was functional while baggage from an Ibom Air flight was being offloaded at the same time.

According to her, the baggage claim hall was ill-equipped to handle two full flights, describing it as small, overcrowded, poorly ventilated, and without air conditioning.

She added that the heat and congestion left many passengers visibly distressed, with babies and toddlers crying uncontrollably, while Nigerians returning from the diaspora openly expressed their frustration.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu noted that the conditions were overwhelming even for adults, as there were no chairs available, forcing passengers to stand for long periods.

According to her, she was only able to find brief relief after a woman from an office overlooking the hall noticed her condition and brought her a chair, an act she described as humane and timely.

While appreciating the gesture, she stressed that such personal kindness should not replace functional infrastructure at public facilities. “Nigeria deserves better. Our airports are gateways to the nation, and passenger comfort should not be treated as a luxury but as a basic necessity,” she added.