Why Nigeria Must Turn Airports Into Engines of Growth

Across Nigeria, new airports are appearing on the landscape with growing frequency. Governors commission them with pride, supporters celebrate them as symbols of progress, and critics dismiss them as expensive vanity projects. Yet both sides often overlook the essential point.

An airport, by itself, is neither a development strategy nor an economic achievement. A runway is not an economy.

The real question is not whether a state can build an airport, but whether it can build an economy around it.

In the past decade, Nigeria has seen unprecedented expansion of airport infrastructure. New airports have opened in states including Anambra, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Nasarawa and others, while significant upgrades have been made to existing facilities across the country. State governments increasingly view aviation infrastructure as a badge of modernity and a gateway to investment.

However, nearly every new airport announcement is met with a familiar wave of scepticism. Many Nigerians question whether these airports are truly necessary. Some doubt their economic sustainability, while others wonder if the resources allocated to aviation infrastructure could have been more beneficial if invested elsewhere.

These concerns should not be dismissed. They merit serious consideration

Some of the scepticism arises from a lack of trust. Citizens have witnessed numerous large-scale projects announced eagerly but failing to deliver after their launch. This has led to an inherent hesitation to believe in official claims of economic change.

Another reason is that airport promoters often struggle to make a convincing case. Conversations usually centre on runways, terminals, control towers, and passenger lounges. What is often missing is a clear explanation of how the airport will create jobs, boost commerce, attract investment, support exports, enhance tourism, or benefit local communities. In essence, the debate is usually about infrastructure when it should be about development.

The future of airport projects in Nigeria depends on our ability to grasp a simple yet profound distinction: airports are valuable not because they exist, but because of what they enable.

The emergence of new airports in Nigeria reflects a broader aspiration among states to become more integrated with national and international markets.

The Chinua Achebe International Airport in Anambra State, commissioned in 2021 and so renamed in 2023, was among the most ambitious state-led airport projects in recent years. In its first month of operation, it handled more than 140 flights and nearly 4,000 passengers. Similar ambitions have inspired airport projects in Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, and other states.

The reasoning behind these projects is clear: connectivity is crucial

Businesses prioritise accessibility, investors favour regions that are easy to access, and tourists are more inclined to visit well-connected destinations. Additionally, students, academics, professionals, and conference organisers all benefit from better transport infrastructure. The issue isn’t just that states are constructing airports; rather, many discussions end at the airport without considering the broader development.

A successful airport shouldn’t be the endpoint of a development plan but rather its starting point.

The world’s most successful airports are no longer just transportation hubs; they function as vital economic ecosystems.

Singapore’s Changi Airport is frequently praised as one of the best airports globally, but its success extends well beyond aviation. It significantly boosts tourism, trade, logistics, retail, hospitality, and employment. While millions of travellers pass through annually, the real benefit lies in the economic activities it stimulates.

Similarly, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport was designed as part of a comprehensive national plan that incorporated logistics, free trade zones, tech clusters, educational institutions, and commercial development.

Dubai provides perhaps the clearest example: its airport didn’t merely support the city’s growth but became a foundational element of modern Dubai, aligning aviation with tourism, finance, hospitality, real estate, trade, and global business services.

These cases illustrate that airports do not automatically generate prosperity; rather, prosperity arises when airports are integrated into broader economic systems.

When a state government announces an airport project, citizens should ask several key questions.

These include: Which industries will the airport support? What economic activities are expected to grow? How many jobs will be generated, both directly and indirectly? What new opportunities will appear for local businesses? How will farmers, entrepreneurs, students, exporters, and investors benefit?

If these questions remain unclear or unanswered, the project might have an infrastructure plan but lack a solid development strategy. I consider this distinction to be extremely important.

A state renowned for farming should view its airport as a key point for exporting fresh produce both locally and internationally. Similarly, a state with abundant tourism resources should consider its airport the entry point to a thriving visitor economy.

A state with prestigious educational institutions should leverage its airport to attract conferences, academic collaborations, and international students.

The joy and beauty of human activities lie in their creation; they need not be natural. The airport should serve a purpose beyond just transportation.

Globally, planners are increasingly adopting the concept of the aerotropolis—an urban or economic zone centred around an airport. In this model, airports attract warehouses, logistics centres, manufacturing sites, tech parks, conference centres, universities, hotels, healthcare services, and businesses.

The airport transforms into an economic hub rather than merely a transit point

Nigeria should adopt this perspective. Each airport project ought to be paired with a detailed economic master plan outlining the sectors, industries, and opportunities the airport aims to boost. True success isn’t about ribbon-cutting events or striking architecture but about the economic influence generated.

To transform our airports into drivers of growth, each airport must develop a unique economic identity.

Not all airports should follow the same approach. For example, Anambra’s airport should capitalise on Onitsha’s commercial vibrancy and Nnewi’s industrial capacity. States boasting robust agricultural sectors should prioritise agro-logistics and export services. Tourism hubs should focus on attracting visitors and enhancing hospitality services. Without a clear economic purpose, an airport risks becoming merely a costly transit point with little developmental impact.

We also need to prioritise cargo alongside passengers

Passenger traffic often attracts more attention, but cargo significantly drives economic change. Many regional airports worldwide derive substantial value from trade support rather than passenger traffic alone. Amenities such as cold-chain storage, export processing centres, warehouses, and logistics services can generate employment and income that exceed passenger-related earnings. In many Nigerian states, the key economic opportunity may lie in the movement of goods rather than in the travellers passing through.

Creating Airport Economic Zones is another valuable policy worth considering

We need to establish special economic zones near airports to attract industries such as manufacturing, logistics, retail, technology, hospitality, and business services. These zones appeal to investors by providing excellent connectivity, a key advantage of airport-centric areas.

The aim will be to explicitly stimulate economic activity around the airport, rather than relying on spontaneous development.

To achieve all this and more, our airport managers and owners must deliberately and proactively seek partnerships beyond Aviation.

Airport development should involve tourism boards, universities, chambers of commerce, agricultural groups, logistics firms, conference organisers, and healthcare providers. Development rarely succeeds when carried out by isolated institutions. The most effective airports function as hubs within networks of partnerships. Aviation should serve as a platform supporting various sectors, rather than an industry acting in isolation.

As I often have cause to say, we also need to measure what truly matters

Passenger numbers tell only part of the story. We should also measure jobs created, exports facilitated, investment attracted, tourism revenue generated, business formation, and improvements in local incomes. These indicators offer a more meaningful assessment of an airport’s contribution to development. An airport that stimulates trade and employment may be far more valuable than one that merely records impressive passenger statistics.

Nigeria clearly needs infrastructure. However, infrastructure alone does not equate to development.

A bridge does not guarantee prosperity, and a road does not ensure growth. Similarly, a seaport does not automatically lead to trade, and a runway does not define an economy.

These infrastructures serve as platforms that can foster prosperity when guided by clear vision, strategy, and effective management. The conversation about airports in Nigeria should go beyond mere construction and costs, focusing instead on their purpose, partnership opportunities, economic integration, and long-term effects.

When airports evolve into hubs for trade, tourism, education, logistics, innovation, and investment, public scepticism will decrease as citizens witness tangible benefits within their communities.

The future belongs not to states that merely build airports, but to those that build economies around them. That is the difference between infrastructure and development. That is the difference between building a runway and building an economy.

*Anthony Kila, the author of Strategic Management in Aviation, is a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development at the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS). He also serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU). He is the founding Chairman of Sabre Africa Travel Network.

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