Aviation minister Festus Keyamo says President Bola Tinubu is prudent in spending $400 million on airport refurbishment, claiming that other countries spend more for the same purpose.

Mr Keyamo pointed out that people criticising the cost of refurbishing a major airport in the country spoke out of ignorance.

In an interview with ARISE TV on Monday, Mr Keyamo said, “Airports are being refurbished across the world, the lowest is about $1 billion. In Africa, Angola is (worth) $3.5 billion. South Africa N1.2 billion. Ethiopia $7.8 billion. Cambodia is $1.5 billion. Guess what ours is $400million, less than half a billion dollars.”

The aviation minister explained that the refurbishing project “is not only the building itself”.

“We are doing an intricate complex of roads. Two new ring roads and bridges,” Mr Keyamo stated.

Berating Nigerians criticising the cost of renovating the airport, Mr Keyamo said, “People think airports are block and cement. That is the mentality in their heads. They are not block and cement. (At the) airport, they include very intricate equipment. Navigation, communication equipment.”

Mr. Keyamo’s statement came in response to criticisms surrounding Mr Tinubu’s plan to spend N712 billion on the renovation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

The African Democratic Congress, one of the opposition parties in the country, has described the plan to spend ₦712 billion on renovating Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos as a misplaced priority.