Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Nigeria: a Brief Profile

Nigerian Aviation
Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos

This is the busiest airport in Nigeria. It was built during the WWII. It has two terminals: the International and Cargo; and the Domestic terminals. Until 1970s, it was known as Lagos international Airport. Its current name was after the Murtala Muhammed, a military head of state of Nigeria from 1975-1976.


This prime airport of Nigeria is located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Statistics for Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Year Total passengers % Increase Freight (tons) Total Aircraft movements
2003 3,362,464 -% 51,826 62,439
2004 3,576,189 6% 89,496 67,208
2005 3,817,338 6.3% 63,807 70,893
2006 3,848,757 0.8% 83,598 74,650
2007 4,162,424 7.5% 81,537
2008 5,136,920 23.4% 77,472
2009 5,644,572 9.9% 84,588
2010 6,273,454 11.1% 96,919
2011 6,748,290 7.6% 105,215
2012 10,066,460 49.17%
2013 15,176,998 50.8%
2014 20,225,448 50.9%

Source: Wikipedia



Airliners that are based in the airport include: Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Medview Airline, Air Peace and others.

Muhammadu Buhari in Nigeria: a Brief Profile

President of Nigeria
Muhammadu Buhari

General Muhammadu Buhari, now President Muhammadu Buhari was born in Daura, Katsina State in Nigeria in December 17, 1942. After his secondary school, he became interested in the military and started it in the old Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC), now Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna. That was in 1961.

He proceeded to the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in England and became a commissioned officer afterwards.

In 1965, he went for the Mechanical Transport Officers’ Course at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Borden, England. He went to the Defence Services’ Staff College, Wellington, India in 1973 and to the United States Army War College from June 1979 to June 1980.


Muhammadu Buhari was a mastermind of December 31st, 1985 coup which ousted a democratically elected government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. 

His administration was fraught with blunders which included the Umaru Dikko botched kidnap otherwise known as the Umaru Dikko Saga in which he arranged with a handful of Israelis to unlawfully invade U.K to kidnap Dikko for extradition and persecution on corruption when it became obvious to him that London was not going to agree to any bargain with him.

The operation was intercepted and aborted by the swift intervention of the government of the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. This singular diplomatic faux pas severed the relations between the two countries.

He introduced the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) which was aimed at spoon-feeding Nigerians with discipline overnight. The rate of violations of the dignity of human persons in the programme remained a scar on the face of Nigeria's historical repertoire.

He emerged the the winner of the 2015 presidential election of Nigeria in which he defeated the incumbent, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in an arguably free and fair election.

He ran unsuccessfully for the post in 2003, 2007 and 2011 until his persistence and circumstances that brought about disenchantment by Nigerians on the government of PDP and that of Jonathan, determined his victory in 2015 at the age of 72.  

Aso Rock Villa in Nigeria: the Seat of Power of Nigerian Government

Nigerian Seat of Power
Aso Rock Villa

Aso Rock Villa variously called Aso Villa, The State House or Presidential Villa located in the three arms zone of Central Business District in Abuja, is a seat of power of Nigerian Government. The monumental edifice was built in 1991 when Nigeria's capital city was moved from Lagos to Abuja the same year. It took its name from a natural feature in the outskirts of Abuja, the Aso rock. Aso means victory. Therefore it could loosely be translated: the Rock of Victory.


The iconic national white edifice is capped with a green dome in the order of the Nigeria's flag. The very first president to live in the official residence was the then military head of state: General Ibrahim Babangida who left office after the bungled 1993 presidential election.

Background provided by the gigantic Aso rock and the lush lawn and natural trees and floowers accentuated the official aura of the villa. Standing at the foot of a huge rock coupled with myths that the rock bodies were carved into living spaces within, make the seat of power appear as an impregnable fortress.

The Aso Rock Villa was the site of the Aso Rock Declaration by the Conference of the Head of States and Governments (CHOGM) of the Commonwealth held in Abuja which reaffirmed the Harare Declaration in Zimbabwe; while including the promotion of democracy and development as a priority.