Nigeria: Need for aviation infrastructure devt

Nigeria’s quest to address her aviation infrastructure gaps is yielding dividend since infrastructure is a unique and indispensable catalyst for socio-economic growth. WOLE SHADARE writes

Steady traffic rise
Nigeria has achieved remarkable economic growth through aviation especially in the past two years, as all the indices point to a steady rise in passenger traffic, stability of the sector in the face of hiccups in other sectors that hitherto cast a shadow on the general economic outlook for the country.
Notwithstanding this leap, it would amount to nothing if aviation infrastructure remains the same without quick intervention either by the Federal or state governments and the private sector.

Not yet uhuru
There is no doubt that aviation in Nigeria is improving. Although, the sector is not where it should be if people cast their minds back to how decrepit facilities at the airports made Nigeria a butt of joke among other countries particular from West Africa. Not a few have forgotten how the Port-Harcourt International Airport made Nigeria to be ranked as country with worst airport in the world.
The aerodrome brought a lot of shame to the nation despite huge amount of money reportedly spent on it and others by the Federal Government, midwifed by a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, under the airports remodelling mantra.
The euphoria that greeted the airport remodelling project of Oduah gradually gave way to scepticism. This is because not much was achieved contrary to the high expectations raised when it was launched amid pomp and celebration.

At inception, she stressed the need to give the nation’s airports a face-lift being the first point of contact with the country by foreign visitors. Most analysts, however, estimate that over $2 billion had so far been expended on the projects.

The airport remodelling projects, which was more in the media but absent in reality in most places, which more or less stunted growth.

Worried by the shame and embarrassment it caused to Nigeria, the Federal Government matched its words with action by mobilising funds to complete a new terminal, making the airport to rank amongst the best in Africa.

Deficit
Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure deficit cannot be solved in one fell swoop. Experts are of the opinion that the challenges wouldn’t have been this much if successive government had taken the bull by the horn to do the needful.

This much was said by Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika last weekend in Lagos when he held the 6th stakeholders’ forum to discuss the challenges of the industry and gave a blow-by-blow account of his stewardship in the sector.

In what was more like a valedictory speech considering the fact that President Muhammed Buhari will tomorrow dissolve his cabinet in readiness for a new four-year term handed to him by Nigerians in the last Presidential election held last February, Sirika attested to how much they achieved in terms of infrastructure development.

The pressure to upgrade infrastructure at airports across the country would see to the shutdown of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. It is most likely going to follow the same pattern deployed to get the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway Abuja fixed by creating an alternate airport when government decides to close the airport.

Security challenges
Sirika said there were some developments around the airport that posed security and safety threat to flight operations, adding that effort was on to address the challenges.

According to him, the state government decided to situate its free trade zone, market and radio mast too close to the runway, which is against international safety standard.
“We have some issues there and I have met the governor three times to discuss the issues,” he said.
“As you approach Enugu, there is a market there, there is an abattoir and at the end of the runway, there is a free trade zone and as you know, Enugu is the Kaduna of the east.
“A lot of passengers from the eastern part of the country travel through Enugu airport.
The minister said unless the market and the mast were removed, government would have no option but to discontinue international flights into the airport.
He said government was committed to ensuring that all on-going projects across Nigerian airports were completed before the end of the year.
He added that government would also ensure that Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu airports obtained the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) certification.

Scorecard
Sirika also disclosed that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari had completed 130 of the 157 projects it initiated in aviation sector within three years.
He explained that agencies such as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) had recorded a lot of progress during the period.
According to him, the new terminal projects in Lagos and Kano will be completed before the end of the year, while the Lagos project would be delivered earlier.
The minister explained that the airport was over stretched over the years because of the increasing number of passengers that travelled through the airport.
“Lagos airport was initially designed and built for 200,000 people but now accommodates and processes eight million passengers, which is grossly inadequate.“

Huge gap
According to the Nigeria Integrated infrastructure Master plan (NllMP), $775 billion is required to develop Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure over the next 30 years.
Along the same line, the African Development Bank (ADB) estimates US$35billion/year (2010-2020). This of course, is focused on four broad sectors i.e. transport and transport infrastructure, electricity & rural access, water and sanitation, and ICT.
According to the Minister, “This deficit on one hand is bad but on the other. it provides opportunity for investment. It is imperative that in this address l appraise you with the excellent business opportunities in the Aviation Sector at this wonderful country’.
“Nigerian market serves the West and Central African regions, with population of 600 million people and its potential, it is sad to admit that there is total absence of a strong air carrier, major Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre, an efficient world class airport or even a significant catering company’.
“Nigeria is positioned to take advantage of this opportunity. I strongly believe that Nigeria is the place to put your money. This is not only because we moved up 24 places in ease of doing business recently but more so because the Rate of Return on investment is 34 per cent; one of the highest in the world.”

Last line
Nigeria has an advantageous central location within the sub-region and her desire to develop into a regional air transportation hub. To achieve this, she must upgrade its facilities to take advantage of its assets

Wole Shadare