Gridlock, flight disruptions as visually impaired protest at Lagos Airport

Flight schedules were disrupted at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Monday after a group of visually impaired persons blocked access roads during a protest over the closure of their school. The demonstrators, demanding the reopening of the Farmcraft Centre for the Blind—shut down by the Lagos State government last year—also decried worsening hunger and […]

Flight schedules were disrupted at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Monday after a group of visually impaired persons blocked access roads during a protest over the closure of their school.

The demonstrators, demanding the reopening of the Farmcraft Centre for the Blind—shut down by the Lagos State government last year—also decried worsening hunger and called on the federal government to address their welfare concerns.

They appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to intervene.

The protest caused a massive gridlock, halting vehicular movement along the airport corridors and affecting both domestic and international terminals. Passengers were seen trekking long distances with luggage to meet flight schedules.

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Kelechi, one of the protest leaders, said, “The Farmcraft school has been shut since last year. We want it reopened, and we want better welfare—the government can even place us on salaries.”

Another protester, Destiny, described the school as a place of comfort, saying, “Even if you cannot see, the school makes you feel at home. Its closure has taken away that joy. We are begging the government to reopen it.”

Following the disruption, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) issued a travel advisory urging passengers to plan ahead.