Tuesday Column By VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO
vikeano@yahoo.co.uk | 08033077519
Construction of airports was exclusive preserve of the federal government until some years ago when state governments engaged in what I term scramble for building of airports which they considered ‘legacy’ project; notwithstanding that they are viewed as being beneficial mainly to the elites in society. As at today, there is an airport in virtually all 36 states of the federation.
Advent of state-owned airports dates far back to the Second Republic when there was only one airport in the south-east which was considered by the people as grossly inadequate by for their zone. It was then decided by the old Imo state government to build another one in the state, the heartland of Igbo land. As cost of constructing an airport was rather prohibitive for state governments at the time, it decided to ask for contributions from Imolites and communities; they were more or less, taxed for it. After some years the project commenced until it was eventually completed and named after the first civilian governor of old Imo state as Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri . It could rightly be called a people-owned airport rather than state owned because it was built from sweat of the citizens, so to speak. Anyway, years later, it was taken over by the federal government, bringing to two, the number of federal and only airports in the south east.
Much later in this Fourth Republic, there began a craze for construction of airports by governors whose states do not have any. In this zone, former Ebonyi state governor now Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi by end of his two term tenure built and handed one over to his successor. Ditto immediate past governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano who also built one and had it commissioned in the last days of his administration. Obiano prides himself as having constructed that airport wholly from the state’s resources without taking any loan whatsoever. Ironically all airports built by state governors were tagged ‘international’. Thus we have Ebonyi International Airport, Abakiliki (officially named Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Abakiliki), Anambra International Airport, Umeri, officially known as Professor Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umeri. As it stands all five states in the south east now have an airport except Abia state. You guessed rightly, Governor Alex Otti from the very start of his administration prioritized building of an airport and you can be sure it shall have the appellation ‘international’ in its name. Preliminary works on it has started.
In neighbouring south-south zone, there are three federal-owned airports, viz, Port Harcourt International Airport, (Rivers state), Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar (Cross River State) and Samuel Ogbemudia International Airport Benin (Edo state). The Asaba Airport (Delta state) was initially an airfield used majorly for chartered flights but later upgraded to a full fledged airport by the state government, operating full domestic flights. It is now Stephen Keshi (late Nigeria senior football team captain and coach) Airport. Uyo Airport (Godswill Akpabio International Airport) in Akwa Ibom state was the very first state-owned airport built in this Fourth Republic. It was constructed by incumbent Senate President, when he was Akwa Ibom’s number one citizen (governor). And current national leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who happens to be immediate past governor of Bayelsa state, Seriaka Dickson, handed over to his successor, Duoyo Diri, the Yenogoa International Airport built by his administration.
For the south-west zone, Lagos, Ibadan and Akure host federal government-owned airports with Lagos airport (Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja) being the first and oldest airport in Nigeria. The three other states in this zone are building their own airports. These are the Cargo Airport for Ogun state, Agro-Cargo Airport in Ekiti and the Moshood Abiola Airport in Ido-Osu, Osun state. Started by the Rauf Aregbesola administration, the latter appears to be abandoned now, apparently not a priority project for the past and current Osun state governments. Lagos state government is planning to have its own state funded airport in Lekki.
Up north, here in the north-central zone, the famous Abuja airport (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport) in Nigeria’s federal capital territory, Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos, Plateau state and Ilorin International Airport (Kwarra state)are the three in this zone; all built by the federal government. For the other three, current Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule’s predecessor, Tanko Almakura, started an airport in Lafia local government area. It was about 80 percent constructed when he left office upon expiration of his tenure and his successor duly completed it. Its official name is Shehu USman Danfodio Airport, Lafia. In this his first term in office, Farmer Umar Mohammed Bago as the Niger state governor likes to be called, renovated, expanded and modernized the Minna airport, now officially known as Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport . Benue state has no airport per se but the Nigeria Air force base in Makurdi the state capital quite apart from air force operations serves for the landing and take-off of chartered planes flying high-ranking federal and state officials as well as other VIPs to important events.
All seven states in the north-west zone have an airport built by the federal government save Zamfara state. Zamfara has an airstrip in Gusau its capital. Of course Zamfara before coming of Governor Dauda Lawal was already planning to build its own airport. Lawal shall probably see it to fruition. Kaduna state additionally, has another federal airport in Zaria as well as a military airport while Kebbi state has an airstrip in Tuga. Of the six states in the north-east zone, Yobe is the only one without an airport. But it has two airstrips located outside Damaturu its capital. They are in Potiskum and Nguru.
With nearly all states in the federation having an airport, our governors have now stepped on the next level which is acquisition/operation of airlines. Again, Akwa Ibom blazed the trail in this respect with its Ibom Air. It is to its credit that more than ten years after its establishment, Ibom Air is still flying, adding to its fleet of aircrafts and operating regular domestic flights to especially, Lagos, Abuja, Uyo. Last year, Governor Peter Mbah launched the Enugu Air which has some three aircrafts in its fleet. And last month Governor Diri along side some top government officials undertook the first maiden flight of Bayelsa Air, taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and landing at the Yenogoa International Airport.
More states are likely to follow suit and we may in fact witness a scramble by governors to join the league of states with airlines. However, our governors should equally consider investing in the electricity sector since that sector has been decentralized. More so now that they receive stupendous amounts of money from the Federation Account and so can afford such huge investments. What is more, investing in the energy sector will benefit all citizens, both rich and poor.
