By Adekunle Williams
Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) has launched Art Experience’ centre at the terminal to celebrate its 16th years anniversary on Sunday.
The Chairman of the company, Dr Wale Babalakin made this known at the inauguration of the gallery centre at MMA2, Lagos on Sunday.
Babalakin explained that the gallery was opened to project Nigerian arts and culture which would promote innovation and make it a platform for young artists to interact with art enthusiasts and connoisseurs.
He noted that the gallery as the parlour of the airport, was expected to be a projector of Nigerian cultures.
“This is to have a platform where art can live, thrive and interact with people. There will be different aspects of this gallery.
“There will be a normal component where we will sell art, interact with it and expose it to the people.
“There will also be a place for collectors, but the most important thing is that we want to use this platform to celebrate our own and encourage people”, he said.
Babalakin said the decision to maintain global standards at the MMA2 terminal was due to discipline and a deliberate plan to design it in a way that makes it functions properly.
According to him, it is easy for passengers to operate seamlessly at the MMA2 terminal because it was designed by some of the best architects in the world.
“The design was a major assignment, we didn’t just start building. We sat down with the best of architects in the world to design a terminal that will have the flow. It is the flow that has made it easy for you to operate here.
“You can see the link between the car park and the terminal, so you’re not going through a disjointed journey because you want to travel.
“You can see that from when you come up the escalator It’s a seamless process till you board the plane”, he said.
Babalakin therefore, ascribed the success of the MMA2 to the discipline the the operator of the terminal enforces on passengers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on May 7 2007, Bi-Courtney completed and opened the MMA2 facility under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).