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Fresh allegations have emerged over working conditions at the ongoing China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) project at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, with workers and airport sources alleging a pattern of worker fatalities, unsafe working conditions and inadequate regulatory oversight at one of Nigeria’s busiest aviation facilities.
According to multiple sources familiar with activities at the construction site, another worker died on Monday, June 29, just days after a separate labourer reportedly lost his life.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the worker who died on Monday was earning only ₦6,000 per day.
Workers and airport stakeholders also alleged that another labourer was electrocuted on Friday, June 26, while carrying out construction work inside International Terminal 2 of the airport.
According to the stakeholders, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) witnessed the fatal electrocution.
They further alleged that the incident occurred after Chinese nationals working for CCECC illegally tapped electricity from International Terminal 2 without notifying other workers or the relevant airport authorities.
The stakeholders claimed there was no approved power supply at the section of the construction site where the CCECC workers were operating, insisting that the fatal electrocution was entirely preventable.
Multiple workers who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity also described what they alleged to be unsafe working conditions across the construction project.
“We just die here and they move us out quietly right here at Lagos Airport. It’s like nobody sees us, but the airport is busy all day and the government that should hold CCECC to account is doing nothing,” one worker alleged.
Another recurring concern raised by workers relates to lighting conditions during night operations at the construction site.
Several workers alleged that large sections of the CCECC construction site within the airport are poorly lit after dark, forcing labourers to carry out their duties under dangerously inadequate illumination.
According to the workers, the poor visibility significantly heightens the risk of accidents involving heavy machinery, electrical installations, moving vehicles and work at elevated heights.
SaharaReporters reviewed video footage provided by sources that appears to show parts of the construction site operating at night with limited lighting.
While the footage is consistent with the workers’ accounts, SaharaReporters has not independently verified whether the conditions depicted reflect the entire construction project or all night shifts.
Nevertheless, workers maintained that inadequate lighting has become a persistent safety concern at the site.
One worker told SaharaReporters that despite repeated complaints, little has been done to address the problem.
“Sometimes, you can barely see where you’re working. We continue because if you don’t work, you don’t get paid,” the worker said.
Sources further alleged that after the fatal incident on June 29, the deceased worker’s body was quietly removed from the construction site without the death being formally reported through the appropriate airport channels.
A stakeholder familiar with activities at the airport told SaharaReporters that the incident was not isolated, alleging that at least five worker deaths linked to the ongoing construction project were never officially reported to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Multiple airport sources further claimed that officials of FAAN, the Nigeria Police Force’s airport command, the Department of State Services (DSS), other security agencies operating within the airport, and the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development were not formally notified of several of the reported fatalities.
According to the sources, the alleged failure to notify the relevant authorities has left key agencies unaware of the full extent of worker deaths occurring at the construction site.
The stakeholder also raised concerns about the level of oversight on the project, noting that despite its proximity to restricted areas of the international airport, there appeared to be inadequate coordination among airport safety, security and emergency response agencies.
According to the stakeholder, the airport’s safety, security and fire departments have not exercised sufficient oversight over the large-scale construction project, despite its location within one of Nigeria’s busiest and most security-sensitive aviation facilities.
Workers and stakeholders also alleged that theft of construction materials and equipment has become commonplace at the site, raising further concerns about security and project supervision.
“When things are not getting stolen, workers are dying,” one source alleged.
The pattern of allegations surrounding CCECC’s operations at the airport raises broader questions about regulatory oversight. If the claims are substantiated, including unauthorised power connections, damage to airport property, and the alleged removal of deceased workers without formal notification, they could point to serious lapses in compliance with safety, reporting and operational standards expected on a project of this scale.
The allegations also cast scrutiny on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) oversight of the ongoing remodelling project.
Given that the construction is taking place within one of Nigeria’s most security-sensitive aviation facilities, questions are likely to be asked about whether adequate systems were in place to enforce safety protocols, ensure prompt reporting of serious incidents and effectively supervise contractors operating within the airport environment.
If confirmed, the allegations would raise significant concerns about workplace safety compliance, incident reporting procedures and regulatory oversight on a major infrastructure project being executed within one of Nigeria’s busiest international airports.
