Kogi State has joined the long list of states in an inordinate craze for having an airport just for the sake of it. Virtually all the states of the federation have built or are planning to build an airport, most of which are scarcely viable.
The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development recently approved the Kogi State government’s bid to build an international airport in the Zariagi community.
An elated commissioner for information and communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who disclosed this to the media, stressed that Governor Usman Ododo’s administration is committed to the project’s timely completion and strict adherence to regulatory standards.
He claimed that an airport in Kogi State would serve 10 other states, reduce traffic on the Lokoja-Abuja Road, and decongest the traffic at the International Airport in Abuja. He didn’t say how.
The commissioner said, “The Ododo administration has considered it a top priority for Kogi State to have an international airport and to join the league of aviation hubs. The strategic location of the state is undoubtedly an invaluable advantage in harnessing the aviation service market as the centre of the nation
“The project will not only boost the state’s economy, but it will also create jobs and bring the state’s potential to the global stage. The governor is determined to hire the best professionals in the industry to ensure the project is a resounding success. As you know, aviation is an industry built on trust and standards.”
The questions begging for answers are: does Kogi need an airport? Should building an airport be the priority of the Kogi State government now? How will the planned airport be funded despite other contending demands for scarce resources?
As a newspaper, we have reservations concerning the Kogi State government’s drive to build an airport. It is doubtful whether an airport in Kogi will reduce traffic on Lokoja-Abuja Road. This is because the number of those plying the road who can afford to fly is insignificant. The claim that the airport will serve 10 states is laughable. As for the claim that it will decongest Abuja International Airport, we ask how?
But assuming that the planned Kogi airport will help decongest traffic on the Abuja-Lokoja Road, should the Kogi State government not be driven by its prospects of viability, considering that the nation already has so many non-viable airports?
The managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, recently disclosed that only three of the country’s 22 airports are profitable and contribute mainly to the growth of the aviation sector.
Kuku said 19 of the nation’s airports under FAAN were being subsidised as they do not receive passenger traffic commensurate with their operational costs.
Despite incurring huge sums in maintenance and other operational costs, some of these airports receive less than three flights in one week. Most airports in the northern states, for instance, are only operational during Hajj rites. It is worrisome that despite this profitability deficit, state governments are still rushing to establish airports.
In Ebonyi State, for example, former Governor David Umahi sunk over N30 billion into the construction of an international airport that stakeholders have described as non-viable, and rightly so. Having gulped that much, the airport, which is supposed to be a revenue-generating enterprise, is inactive.
Similarly, in Nasarawa State, the former administration of Governor Tanko Almakura sunk N10 billion into a cargo airport project that has remained unused to date. Of course, the federal government eventually took over the airport, but it is yet to commence operation.
Therefore, we are alarmed that Kogi State is set to begin another white elephant project that will consume the state’s enormous resources without commensurate value.
State governors see airport projects as status symbols. Perhaps that is why they can contemplate building an airport even when the facts on the ground show that most of the existing ones are not viable.
Rather than contemplating building an airport, Governor Ododo should concentrate on opening up rural roads and empowering the citizens to engage in viable economic ventures. Much more than a white elephant project, which the local airports that litter the states constitute, is needed to make them ready for business and eventually attract more investors. Until that is done, Kogi has no business talking about an airport.
We recall that Ibrahim Idris, a former governor of the state, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm to build a refinery in the state. Actually, he issued them a certificate of occupancy (C-of-O) for the land. What happened to that project? It holds more promise than an airport because the financing is through foreign direct investment (FDI). It is a project with enormous job-creating potential. That ought to be the focus of any serious government in Kogi State.
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