MMIA recorded Africa’s fastest-growing air traffic

Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos recorded an 11.8% growth in air traffic movements in 2025, the fastest rate among Africa’s top airports, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said.

Kuku said this while delivering the closing address at the ACI Africa Regional Conference & Exhibition in Luanda, Angola, on Wednesday. On cargo load, she said Lagos posted a 34.4% increase which is the highest within the continent’s top 10 cargo airports.

She said: “These are not just statistics. They reflect the growing strategic importance of Nigeria as a key aviation, logistics, and commercial hub on the continent.”

Citing official airline guide data, Kuku said that both MMIA and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja rank among Africa’s top 10 domestic passenger airports and that Nigeria is now the continent’s second-largest domestic passenger market, having carried over 10.5 million passengers in the past year.

At the Luanda conference, held under the theme “Stronger Airports, Stronger Africa,” where delegates from across the continent gathered to discuss the future of African aviation, Kuku used the platform said that airports must be viewed as strategic economic assets rather than mere transit facilities.

She commended the Government of Angola, local airport authorities, the ACI Africa Secretariat, and Sociedade Gestora de Aeroportos (SGA) for hosting the event.

She then extended an invitation to the next ACI Africa which Nigeria will host in Abuja from September 19 – 25, 2026, with theme “Next Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience.”

She said: “Hosting this next conference is both an honour and a responsibility. We look forward to receiving you with the hospitality, energy, and spirit for which Nigeria is proudly known.”