By the time airports in Bayelsa, Ekiti, Abia, Osun and Ogun states are completed; some states would have invested over N150 billion on aerodromes that may not significantly improve their economies. Some of them that have been inaugurated are currently unviable as they witness little traffic. The Federal Government had disclosed plans to construct five domestic airports in the capital cities of Bayelsa, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa and Ogun states.

Virtually all the airports, including the one in Abuja, run on generators, as they are not connected to the national grid. Besides, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is said not to be comfortable with some of the projects that are handed to them shortly after completion as it lacks enough manpower to man them.

A source told New Telegraph 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 22 airports nationwide. Of the 22, 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. The former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, spent N15.5 billion to build the airport in the state, which was inaugurated last October.

Lamido reportedly sourced funds to build the airport, standing on the arrangement that the Federal Government would pay back once the project is 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 MAKIA is a hub of aviation for the zone as virtually all the airlines operate to Kano, not Dutse, which is about one-and-ahalf 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 that the ongoing Bayelsa airport project may go the way of that of Dutse. The Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, is said to be shopping for N40 billion-loan facility from commercial banks to complete the construction of its cargo airport project located near Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Although the total cost of the airport project could not be ascertained, sources said the loan facility would attract a total interest of N32 billion to be serviced within eight years, bringing total repayment to N72 billion. The governor had explained that the proposed project was designed for the largest cargo and commercial aircraft to land. It is yet unknown how viable the aerodrome would be after construction, but the proximity of Port-Harcourt airport may affect the viability of the airport.

Amagwa, where the Port Harcourt airport is located, is about one hour drive to Yenagoa. For the Asaba airport, the Delta State Government reportedly spent N27.7 billion on the project; Abia State is proposing N20 billion for an airport in Umuahia while Ekiti is to spend about N17 billion on its own.

The cost for Kebbi airport is unknown.
There are indications that it could be in the region of N20 billion, while that of Kogi could also gulp over N20 billion. Speaking on the rate at which airports are being constructed by states, 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.” Also, former Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, described airports proliferation as total corruption. He said: “The people in that area don’t need it.
If you look at Bauchi airport, the airport has been in existence since 1979 and the former governor refurbished it. They built a very good airport in Dutse, but what is the purpose? What is the interest of the citizens in it? They need to make it viable, if not, it will be a waste