N160bn Wasted On Empty Airports: Governors Draw Public Outrage

N160bn Wasted On Empty Airports: Governors Draw Public Outrage....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Six state governments—Ekiti, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Yobe, Nasarawa, and Bayelsa—have collectively invested approximately N160 billion in airport projects that opposition politicians and aviation experts consider unviable. Stakeholders argue that the substantial public funds spent on these facilities have been wasted and are calling on Nigerians to hold the governors accountable. Some industry experts have even suggested repurposing these airports as skill acquisition centers to benefit the public, while others urge a thorough investigation into the expenditure on these projects…..CONTINUE READING

Investigations by PUNCH revealed that these six states spent over N160 billion on their respective airport projects. However, these facilities have failed to attract a significant number of charter or commercial flights. Aside from the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, and the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State— which together generate about 80% of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s revenue—most other airports are a financial burden to FAAN.

Despite the challenges facing many airports across the country, state governments continue to allocate scarce resources to the construction of new airports, often branding them as “cargo airports.” Over the past decade, no fewer than 10 states, including Osun, Ebonyi, Ogun, Benue, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Abia, Ekiti, and Bayelsa, have initiated such projects. Unfortunately, many of these projects remain incomplete or have been abandoned by subsequent administrations.

Examples include the uncompleted Asaba Airport, Ebonyi Airport, Bayelsa Airport, Ogun Cargo Airport, and the MKO Abiola International Airport in Osun. Other airports like the Ekiti Cargo Airport, Anambra Cargo Airport, Abia Airport, and Wachakal Airport in Damaturu are similarly struggling. Projects like Lafia Airport in Nasarawa and Auchi Airport in Edo also remain unfinished. Gombe and Kebbi Airports add to the list of underutilized and financially draining facilities.

In 2017, Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano initiated the construction of a cargo airport in Umueri, despite the state being surrounded by airports in Delta, Imo, and Enugu. Critics argued that the project was unnecessary, but Obiano defended it, envisioning an airport city that would include runways, an aviation fuel dump, an airport hotel, and other facilities. Initially projected to cost $2 billion, the project’s expenses were later stated to be around N6 billion by the state government.

Similarly, former Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi, now Minister of Works, spent over N36 billion on an airport in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area, which is now largely dormant. Ekiti State’s former Governor Kayode Fayemi also spent N16 billion on an airport project that has not attracted significant air traffic. Despite widespread criticism, Fayemi pushed ahead with the project, which remains incomplete under his successor.

In Jigawa State, ex-Governor Sule Lamido invested N4 billion in an airport that is located just 100 km from the Aminu Kano International Airport, prompting experts to describe it as a wasteful expenditure. Bayelsa’s former Governor Seriake Dickson allocated N70 billion to an airport project initiated in 2012 and completed in 2019, though some stakeholders, including former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomole, claim the actual cost exceeded N100 billion. Yobe State’s unused airport project, launched in 2017, cost over N18 billion, according to state officials.

Nasarawa’s cargo airport project, initiated in 2015 by former Governor Umaru Al-Makura, was meant to ease cargo traffic at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Estimated at N10 billion, the project has yet to demonstrate its viability.

Aviation professionals have voiced their concerns over the scale and funding of these airport projects. Olumide Ohunayo, General Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table, argued that while airport construction is important, the funds and project sizes often exceed the immediate needs. He criticized the practice of launching large-scale airport projects without sufficient air traffic to justify the investment, noting that airports should initially serve as social infrastructure before commercializing operations.

Captain John Okakpu suggested that most of these airports, except for the Anambra airport, should be converted into skill acquisition centers or other public facilities. He criticized the tendency of state governors to replicate failed projects, suggesting that some do so with ulterior motives.

Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd.), CEO of Centurion Security Limited, questioned the approval process and the lack of solid business plans behind these airport projects. He highlighted the irony of building new airports in regions with low travel demand, using Ekiti State as an example.

Opposition politicians have also criticized these projects, describing them as wasteful. The Ekiti State PDP Chairman, Alaba Agboola, argued that the airport project was not a priority for the state and labeled the expenditure as wasteful, considering the proximity of Akure Airport. Similarly, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Ebiowou Koku-Obiyai, defended the construction of the state’s airport but was vague about its commercial viability.

In Yobe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Energy, Dr. Mustapha Geidam, stated that the government is working with the NCAA to secure clearance for the commencement of commercial operations at the state airport. In Ebonyi, former PDP Chairman Silas Onu criticized the airport as a white elephant project, arguing that the state’s resources would have been better spent on industrialization and agriculture, which are its economic mainstays.

In conclusion, these airport projects across various states have become controversial, with many stakeholders questioning their necessity and financial implications. The debate continues on whether these investments will ever yield the expected benefits or remain costly symbols of mismanagement.

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