States can’t justify N200bn airports investment-Report

• New state aerodromes, sheer waste

 Bayelsa, Ekiti, Abia, Osun and Ogun states cannot justify the N200billion planned investments they made on airports, a report obtained by Woleshadarenews has shown.

 These states initially started their airport projects with so much vigour. But as time passed, the same enthusiasm is paling into what may appear as abandoned airport projects. When completed, these investments may not significantly improve their economies.

 Although the Ogun State cargo airport project started during the tenure of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, Governor Ibikunle Amosun showed seriousness in resuscitating the project to no avail. The new ones in Jigawa and other places have not really drawn the expected traffic, as many of them could be tagged sheer waste of resources.

 Meanwhile, passenger movement to and from recognised 27 airports and air strip in the country released by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for 2017 and made available to our correspondent, shows that many of the airports embarked on by former governors are not only unviable but a sheer waste of resources considering that most of the aerodromes recorded less than 10, 000 passengers in 2017 and less than 106 aircraft movement in one year.

 For Katsina, a total of 2, 425 passengers travelled in and out of the airport with paltry 529 aircraft movement for last year, which was less than two flights a day; an average of 1.45 per cent.

 Minna airport, which is also one of the oldest airports in Nigeria recorded just 7, 213 inbound and outbound passengers with 888 aircraft movement.

 For Bauchi airport, 4, 541 travelled through the airport including inbound and outbound passengers with 599 aircraft movement.

 The Jigawa airport, which was built at a cost of N15.5billion by former governor of the state, Sule Lamido, recorded the lowest passenger traffic for 2017 with 693 in-bound and out-bound traffic and 106 aircraft movement.

 Akure, Gombe, Asaba, Kebbi recorded 26, 384, 27, 606, 29, 768 and 18, 504 respectively. Aircraft movement recorded in the same year for the aerodromes stood at 1, 206, 736, 1, 220 and 558 respectively.

 The Lagos airport maintained pole’s position amongst the aerodromes in the country followed by the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, Port-Harcourt International airport and the Mallam Aminu Kano airport, Kano.

 These airports especially, especially Lagos and Abuja feed all the over 29 airports because of their unviability with many of them not generating enough revenues to keep them operational.

 Revenues from these two airports help to keep them functional as state governors handed them to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) because of enormous funds required to keep it operational in case of aircraft in distress where they may be required to make emergency landing when and if there is a cause for it.

 The Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos recorded a grand total of 3, 685, 052 with 62, 872 aircraft movement for the outgone year. Abuja airport recorded 2, 826,113 passengers and 44, 484 followed by Port-Harcourt International Airport with 865, 659 and 16, 367 aircraft movement.

 Overall, the country’s airports and airstrips such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, Port-Harcourt, Minna, Kebbi, Jos, Warri, Benin, Ibadan, Osubi, Calabar, Maiduguri, Ilorin, Katsina, Yola, Kaduna, Gombe, Enugu, Akure, Eket, Owerri, Zaria, Escravos, Finima, Forcado, Dutse recorded 10, 383, 452 domestic passenger traffic and 210, 693 aircraft movements.

Virtually all the airports run on generators, as they are not connected to the national grid. Besides, the FAAN is said to be uncomfortable with some of the projects that are handed to them shortly after completion as they lack enough manpower to man them.

 A source told our correspondent that most of the airports, including the one in Dutse, built by Jigawa State, are a big drain on the budget of the aviation agency, adding that there is no point building facilities that do not have direct impact on the people. Presently, FAAN manages 29 airports nationwide.

 Of the 29, only four, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Port-Harcourt International Airport and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, (MAKIA), are said to be commercially viable.

 The others can barely sustain themselves. Former Governor of Jigawa, Lamido reportedly spent N15.5 billion to build the airport in the state, which was inaugurated October 2014.

 Lamido reportedly sourced funds to build the airport, standing on the arrangement that the Federal Government would pay back once the project was completed. Since the airport was inaugurated, no scheduled domestic flight operates there except for charter operations and during the airlifting of pilgrims for Hajj.

 The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano is a hub of aviation for the zone in the North as virtually all the airlines operate to Kano, not Dutse, which is about one-and-half hours from Kano by road.

 According to experts, the Dutse airport is not viable as it does not generate enough revenue to pay workers maintaining the facilities.

 There are also fears initially that the ongoing Bayelsa airport project may go the way of Dutse, which has continued to record very low traffic. The cargo airport project located near Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state would gulp N40 billion.

 February this year, Dickson promised Bayelsans that the first aircraft to land in the state’s international airport is expected in June 2018.

 He said the airport project, which was the brainchild of his administration has now been scheduled for completion by the second quarter of this year as the earlier date for completion (2019) is too late.

 He expressed the government’s commitment to ensure prudent management of its finances by focusing on the task of delivering the airport project.

 Speaking to our correspondent, spokesman for Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said the decision to build airports cannot be faulted, adding that airports are established for economic and political reasons.

 His words, “Politicians in their campaign promises promise their people airports to connect cities. For economic reason, you want development of your area. Airports, if well managed can trigger economic advantage. In Singapore, 70 per cent of the people employed are through the airport. Airports attract so many activities. If you don’t have money to develop it to that level, it means it is a waste.

“Some are building airports because they are not sincere. They build and pass them on to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). That is where concession comes in.”

 Former President, Aviation Round Table (ART), Captain Dele Ore, said airports should be sited for commercial reasons after undergoing thorough study of viability.

 He said: “Only very few airports are viable in Nigeria and what do we do about the ones that are unviable?”

 Ore stated that some airports were sited for political reasons, adding that with that in mind, a governor that does not have one would try to gain political advantage by embarking on such projects.

 He said the action calls for concern at a time some state governments were unable to pay salaries.

 “It only serves the interest of the politicians. Airports don’t cost peanuts. That is why some of them will build only runway, some without control tower and after a while, they call on the Federal Government to come and take them over. They run these facilities on generators. You can see the madness.”

Wole Shadare