MM2 Conveyor Belt Failure Raises Fresh Questions Over Airport Maintenance

MM2 Conveyor Belt Failure: How Lagos Airport’s Infrastructure Gaps Expose Deeper Fault Lines in Nigeria’s Aviation Sector
The recent conveyor belt system failure at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MM2) has once again brought Nigeria’s airport infrastructure challenges into sharp focus. While passengers experienced delays and operational disruptions, industry observers argue that the incident goes far beyond a technical malfunction, exposing long-standing weaknesses in maintenance culture, funding structures, accountability frameworks, and the shared responsibilities between regulators and terminal operators such as Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL).

A Familiar Failure, Not a First

The MM2 incident is not unprecedented. Over the years, Lagos airports” both domestic and international”, have recorded repeated baggage handling system failures, especially during peak travel periods. Aviation experts note that conveyor belts are among the most critical yet most stressed airport assets, requiring strict preventive maintenance schedules and timely upgrades.

The recurrence of such failures suggests that the issue is systemic rather than incidental, raising questions about whether Nigeria’s airport infrastructure is being managed for current traffic volumes or merely kept operational through temporary fixes.

Beyond the Breakdown: What the Failure Reveals

Industry analysts say the conveyor belt failure highlights three persistent gaps:
Maintenance Culture: A reliance on corrective rather than preventive maintenance, allowing equipment to deteriorate before intervention.
Funding Constraints: Inconsistent reinvestment of passenger-related revenues into infrastructure renewal.

Accountability Ambiguity: Unclear lines of responsibility when critical systems fail.
At MM2, these questions intersect directly with the operational role of BASL, the concessionaire responsible for managing and maintaining the terminal.

The Role of BASL: Operator Responsibility Under Scrutiny

As the concessionaire of MM2, BASL is tasked with day-to-day operations, asset maintenance and passenger experience delivery within the terminal. Aviation stakeholders stress that concession agreements globally place primary responsibility for infrastructure reliability on terminal operators, subject to regulatory oversight.
However, experts also caution against oversimplification. MM2 operates within a broader aviation ecosystem where:
Power supply instability affects equipment lifespan,

Import constraints delay replacement of critical components,

Regulatory approvals can slow infrastructure upgrades.
This reality, analysts argue, means that BASL’s performance must be assessed within both its contractual obligations and Nigeria’s wider operational environment, rather than in isolation.

Funding and Revenue Reinvestment Questions

A recurring industry concern is whether terminal-generated revenues are adequately ring-fenced for infrastructure upkeep. Experts say conveyor belt systems require continuous capital expenditure, not sporadic repairs.
The MM2 incident has revived calls for:
Transparent disclosure of maintenance spending,

Independent audits of airport asset management, Clear reinvestment benchmarks tied to passenger service charges.

Regulators and Oversight: Shared Accountability

While BASL manages MM2, regulatory agencies, including FAAN and aviation safety bodies, retain oversight responsibilities. Analysts argue that effective oversight must go beyond compliance checks, extending to real-time monitoring of infrastructure performance and enforcement of service-level standards.
Without this, failures are likely to repeat across both concessioned and government-managed terminals.

Why This Matters for Nigeria’s Aviation Economy

MM2 is Nigeria’s busiest domestic terminal and a critical node in the country’s business and mobility ecosystem. Infrastructure failures at such a strategic hub:

Disrupt airline operations and schedules,
Increase costs in an already fragile aviation market,

Undermine passenger confidence and investor perception.

In an era where Nigeria seeks to position aviation as a catalyst for economic growth, infrastructure reliability is not a luxury — it is a necessity.

The Way Forward: Lessons From the MM2 Incident. Experts agree that preventing future disruptions requires:
Enforced preventive maintenance regimes,
Ring-fenced funding for critical systems,
Clear accountability frameworks for concessionaires,

Stronger, data-driven regulatory oversight,
Public post-incident reporting to rebuild trust.

The MM2 conveyor belt failure was not merely an operational setback; it was a reminder that airport infrastructure failures are cumulative outcomes of policy choices, funding priorities and governance structures. For BASL, regulators and policymakers alike, the incident underscores the urgency of moving from reactive responses to sustainable infrastructure management.
Until that shift occurs, Nigeria’s aviation sector will continue to confront disruptions that threaten efficiency, safety and global competitiveness.

A conveyor belt failure at Lagos MM2 exposes long-standing airport infrastructure challenges in Nigeria’s aviation sector, raising questions about maintenance culture, funding, accountability and the role of BASL as terminal operator.