Nigeria: An Airport, a National Dream

17 October 2006
opinion

Lagos — One can hardly wait to see the completion of the architectural spectacle that is emerging at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos. Each time one drives through the local wings of the airport these days, the prolonged deep frustrations and disgust that Nigerians went through following the razing of the old airport terminal has dissolved into a refreshing hope and great expectations

The imposing billboards announcing the re-construction of the old terminal aptly capture the essence of the project. It is called "The Nigerian Dream", with the riders: "excellence, innovation and integrity". Almost ninety percent completed, it is becoming evident that, at least for once, something good is capable of coming out of our beleaguered nation that has groped for 46 years as an independent nation to find a positive developmental bearing. The joy one is deriving is from the scriptural assurance that beauty is capable of being given in place of ashes. After all, since nobody seems to bother anymore how the former structure was reduced to ashes by a mystery inferno, we must take consolation in the emerging reality of a grand edifice that will stand as a proud national monument.

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