The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 unveiled a testing and screening protocol for Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, ahead of the reopening of Nigerian airspace to international flights on 5 September 2020. Arriving passengers were required to present a negative PCR test taken within 96 hours of departure and to undergo a second test on arrival, with results tracked through a dedicated online portal.
A Cautious Restart
Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said the layered testing approach was designed to catch imported cases without requiring a blanket quarantine of all arriving passengers, a model similar to protocols adopted at other major African and European hubs reopening around the same time. Airport authorities also introduced expanded temperature screening, mandatory mask requirements and reduced seating in departure lounges to support physical distancing.
Airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines confirmed plans to resume Lagos and Abuja services once the new protocol took effect, while domestic ground handlers were retrained to manage the additional health-screening steps built into the passenger journey.