*Ododo To Consolidate Gains Of Last Eight Years In State- Commissioner
Concerns and apprehension are growing over the approval by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development the bid by the Kogi State Government to build an International Airport in Zariagi.
Coming at a time when the present administration is paying 90 percent salaries and pension on the old N30,000 minimum wage to the disgruntled civil servants battling with high inflationary pressures, the state government, according to some stakeholders, should have very little or nothing to do with commercial aviation services, but rather concentrate on improving the lives and living of the people.
Besides, metrobusinessnews.com (MBN) gathered that they are many unviable and moribund airports built by some state governments that are serving as drainpipes on their lean resources.
The analysts and market watchers say with the dearth of infrastructural projects in the state coupled with high level poverty and deprivation, the viability of the multi-billion-naira project remains questionable.
However, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the approval was conveyed in a letter by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, dated 9th October, 2024.
He said the administration of Usman Ododo was committed to the timely completion of the project with strict adherence to regulatory standards, saying an airport in Kogi State would serve 10 other states and reduce traffic on the Lokoja -Abuja road.
It will also decongest the traffic at the International Airport in Abuja.
“The Ododo Administration has considered it a top priority for Kogi State to have an International Airport and join the league of the aviation hub. The strategic location of the state is no doubt, an invaluable advantage in harnessing the aviation service market as the centre of the nation.
“The project will not only boost the economy of the State, it will also create jobs and bring the potential of the state to the global scene.
“The Governor is determined to hire the best hands in the industry to make the project a huge success. As you are aware, aviation is an industry of trust and standards.
“We thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the Aviation Minister for the historic approval that will help to further develop Kogi State. We want to also say that the Airport will also have capacity for Cargo as that is one of our key focuses in the project,” the commissioner stated.
Fanwo assured the people of Kogi State that the administration of Ododo would continue to execute laudable projects to consolidate the gains of the last eight years in Kogi State.
Zariagi is a very strategic community that already boasts of an airstrip. The team from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development was satisfied with the location and the plans of the Kogi State Government on the project, he said.
But some individuals and corporate organisations have challenged Fanwo to show the world the ‘laudable projects to consolidate the gains of the last eight years’ as claimed in jis statement, in a state where deep despondency permeates every facet of the polity consequent upon rising cost of living.
More worrisome, they further argue is the buccaneering nature of politicians, their penchant for poor service delivery, morbid hatred for probity, accountability, and credible elections, among others, that have led to the general state of near hopelessness among some citizens of the state who have rather resigned to fate for their daily living and survival.
They further argue that the current state of abandoned or underutilized airports littering in some states with trillions of naira expended at the expense of tax payers should naturally serve as enough caution for the state government, wondering the kind of due diligence, market survey undertaking and also considering the low level of passenger and aircraft traffic originating and terminating from the state.
For instance, there are 32 airports in Nigeria, including five recognised international aerodromes, which are: Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA); Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), and Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu.
Despite billions pumped into these white elephant airport projects with little passenger traffic by some state governments, Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu are believed to be responsible for generation of about 89. 7 percent passenger traffic in the country.
The remaining 10 percent are shared by the remaining 27 state airports, according to sources.
This is the market that the state government wants to explore at a time that most of the citizens are living below poverty level.
According to Punch, out of the over 16 million travellers that were airlifted into and out of the country in 2022, for instance, the five airports listed above were responsible for carrying 89.7 percent of all the travellers within the period, while the other 27 airports airlifted just 10.3 percent of passengers within the period.
Consequently, stakeholders are wondering where the percentages are coming from as they are few, if at all, Corporate organisations in the state whose staff could patronize the airline when operational.
Infact, most people who travel by air are mainly government and corporate officials whose trips are generally official and fares paid by their employers, questioning the need for an airport in a state where travellers spend just two hours to get to the nation’s capital, Abuja, with an International Airport.
“It makes no economic sense for the state building airport when they should divert the money to other social services like schools, hospitals, roads,” says an analyst familiar with the sector.
Speaking further, he gave an example of a former governor in one of the northern states who built an airport, “but was going to Abuja for meetings on chartered flights every month. As we are talking, discussions are going on for converting it into skill acquisition centre.”
Adding his voice of opposition to the proposed project, another indigene, who pleaded for anonymity said, “Many of these state airports do not have the present capacity to generate enough revenue, cannot attract concessionaires due to low state gross domestic product (GDP), poor status of its citizens, low propensity for businessmen to gravitate there, or other considerations for trade, politics, and tourism. They cannot attract enough investors or tourists into many of these states. So, where does our state (Kogi) fall into or what competitive advantages over these states that have wasted public funds on the project that has become a compelling reason for the state to embark on same adventure?. Besides, they are abandoned projects, like the former Sanitary wares and other cottage industries scattered all over the state that could be revamped to assist the state which is noted for producing rice, yams and even cassava in large quantities, but for lack of access roads and other incentives, are still producing at subsistence level, while others are completely abandoned by the precious administrations.”
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“Besides, there is poor maintenance of these airports as majority of the state governments do not have the requisite skills or structures to maintain effective airports. What is our history of maintenance culture and where are the resources?,” he queried.
Some aviation professionals have criticised the scale of some airport projects, arguing that while building airports is essential, the funds allocated and the size of these developments are often disproportionate to the immediate needs of the people.
“At a time that aviation professionals and experts are calling for conversion of some of these moribund airports to skill acquisition centres or any form of public facility that will be of use to the people, Kogi state is planning to join the league,” says an indigene.
According to another concerned Nigerian, “the irony is that immediately these governors see a colleague that has embarked on such a project even when the fellow did not achieve success, you will see the others doing the same, but my question is, why would a person on a mission to uplift the standard of living of the people want to replicate failure?”
Aviation professionals that spoke with MBN were unanimous in their observations, noting, for instance that before thinking of a project like an airport, one should be able to ascertain the passenger traffic, solid business plan, among others.
They criticized the focus on building new airports in regions with low travel demand, adding that since the people are believed to be the ultimate beneficiaries, there is need to prioritize their needs with the objective of enhancing their well-being and bringing them out of poverty.
Some of the stakeholders acknowledged efforts of the present administration to improve the living standards of the citizens by the current payment of about 90 percent salaries and pension, against 30-40 percentage payment by the previous administration, urging the state government which has promised N72,000 new minimum wage, effective October, to be focused and not to be distracted by ‘fancy projects’, which may not be completed in record time.