Lagos Is Late to the Flying Club (Part II)

• How Lagos Should Arrive
• Airports, Airlines and the Future of Aviation in Africa’s Greatest City

In the first part of this essay, I argued that Lagos has been somewhat tardy in joining the ranks of the flying clubs.

Given that this vibrant city-state has historically led the way in innovation, commerce, governance, finance, entertainment, and infrastructure over the past half-century, its conspicuous absence from the recent surge in state aviation initiatives is indeed quite baffling.

However, being late does not always have only disadvantages. In fact, arriving after others can sometimes be a strategic advantage.

The first to arrive often spends valuable time deciphering the surroundings and establishing their footing, while the last to arrive benefits from observing others’ missteps.

For Lagos, the challenge is not merely to join the ranks of the usual players or to enter the flying club; it is to arrive with the distinctive flair and confidence that define its spirit. Lagos has never truly flourished by simply copying others.

Instead, its success lies in scaling new heights, in continual improvement, and in transforming promising ideas into bold innovations that surpass initial expectations.

This is precisely the attitude Lagos should adopt towards airlines: embracing originality, striving for greatness, and being driven by the vision to reinvent and elevate the entire industry.

A fitting conversation ought not to begin with a merely superficial question: “Should Lagos possess an airline?” The answer to that is self-evident. Far more crucial is the question: “What sort of airline should Lagos establish?” It is this distinction that truly matters.

Across the country, various states have explored airline projects for reasons ranging from connectivity and prestige to economic development and regional integration. There is nothing wrong with that. Contrary to what some still think, air transport is no longer a luxury.

It is infrastructure. Just as roads connect communities and ports connect economies, airlines connect opportunities. But Lagos is in a different category.

Most states are trying to create aviation demand. Lagos already lives with aviation demand. Most states are trying to attract business travellers. Lagos is where many of those business travellers are already going.

Most states are trying to position themselves as economic gateways. Lagos is already the gateway. This means that Lagos should not think merely in terms of operating aircraft. It should think in terms of creating an aviation ecosystem.

The difference is enormous: Operating an airline is a business, whilst building an aviation ecosystem is a strategy.

An ecosystem encompasses a diverse array of elements vital to the fabric of transport and commerce. It includes airports serving as gateways to the world; airlines traversing the skies; cargo operations facilitating global trade; and maintenance facilities ensuring safety and reliability. Within this intricate network are aviation training centres that nurture tomorrow’s skilled professionals.

Technology interweaves seamlessly through each facet, driving innovation and efficiency. Financial institutions underpin these endeavours with vital support, while logistics orchestrates the movement of goods.

Hospitality offers comfort to travellers, and manufacturing and supply chains sustain the entire structure. All of these, most importantly, mean that this ecosystem is fertile ground for employment, creating countless jobs that sustain families and communities.

One of the mistakes people make when discussing aviation is to focus exclusively on passengers. They see airports as places where travellers arrive and depart. However, the world’s most successful aviation centres understand something deeper.

The cities and countries that understand aviation know that aviation is not merely about moving people. It is about moving economies.

Think of cities like Dubai, Singapore, Doha, Istanbul, and Atlanta. Their achievements aren’t just due to airports. Instead, they recognise that aviation can serve as a key driver of economic development. As a result, their airports evolved into vibrant centres, their airlines grew into powerful brands, and they turned connectivity into a strategic focus.

Lagos has many of the key elements needed for a similar development path. It boasts a large population, favourable geography, vibrant business activity, an entrepreneurial spirit, and tourism potential. It also hosts one of Africa’s largest commercial hubs. However, what it lacks is not demand but coordinated ambition. If Lagos aims to establish an airline, it should not do so merely because others have; that would be unworthy of Lagos.

Lagos should create an airline with the ambition to redefine aviation in West Africa.

A Lagos airline should focus on three main goals. First, connectivity: making Lagos the most accessible African hub for destinations within Nigeria, West Africa, and beyond. Second, commerce: boosting trade, tourism, investment, and business movement. Third, influence: since aviation’s visibility is as important as its profits, each aircraft represents the state’s image, each route serves as a trade route, and each destination presents a new opportunity.

Let us be clear: none of these necessarily means that Lagos should own 100% of an airline. Indeed, one of the lessons of modern aviation is that governments do not always need to own everything they wish to influence.

Strategic partnerships, public-private arrangements, investment incentives, and aviation clusters often yield better results than direct ownership.

The goal should be to generate value, not just own assets: outcome, not ownership. Lagos should remain flexible regarding different models, such as a state-backed airline, a public-private partnership, a strategic investment in an existing carrier, or a Lagos aviation consortium. The exact structure is less important than achieving the desired outcome.

The outcome must be clear to all involved: a stronger aviation sector, characterised by greater connectivity, more jobs, increased investment, expanded trade, and more opportunities. This is especially crucial as the aviation industry itself is changing.

The future of aviation will look different from the past. As we look ahead, it becomes clear that cargo will grow in importance, shaping how cities adapt. Urban air mobility is emerging as a vital new chapter, promising to revolutionise daily commutes and short-distance travel.

Meanwhile, executive aviation continues to grow, catering to a discerning clientele seeking efficiency and prestige. Technological advancements are fundamentally transforming how operations are conducted, making them more efficient and innovative.

At the same time, sustainability is imposing new paradigms on planning, urging cities to reconsider their development strategies.

The Centre of Excellence can retain that title only through action, not slogans. The state has to do so through innovation, ambition, and execution. The aviation sector presents another opportunity to demonstrate those qualities.

The state has already signalled its intentions through plans for the Lekki-Epe International Airport. That is encouraging. But intentions eventually need runways. Plans eventually need aircraft. Visions eventually need outcomes. The time has come to move from conversation to construction, from proposals to projects, and from ambition to achievement.

We must be clear: if Lagos truly wishes to remain first among equals, it cannot merely join the flying club; it must redefine it. When future historians write the story of aviation in Nigeria, they should be able to say what they have often said about Lagos in other sectors:

Others imagined it; Lagos scaled it; others owned airports and airlines; Lagos changed how airports and airlines are owned; others joined; Lagos led; others built airports; Lagos built an aviation ecosystem with more airports. Anything short of that will be just a leaf in a forest.

*Anthony Kila, the author of “Strategy Systems and Power in Flight: Lessons in Strategy, Leadership and Institution Building from 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.

Wole Shadare