₦airaland Forum

gramci: Where are the evil men of nairaland?

holyvirgin: Mr president, state of Emergency is not the only thing we ask for in the north please.
By the way more investments are around the corner for Nigeria

During my campaign for election as President in 2011, one of the promises I made to Nigerians was to bring about transformation of the national economy.

This promise is being delivered in the South East Geo-political Zone through, amongst other key interventions; the transformational work going on not only here at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, but also at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri”, President Jonathan declared on Saturday, May 18, 2013 during the Foundation Laying/Commissioning Ceremony of the remodeled Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.


Indeed, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda is getting full expression in the Aviation sector not only in the renewal of airport infrastructure, especially Terminal rehabilitation and upgrade, but also very poignantly for the people of the South East, as the first international flight operated by Ethiopian Airlines lands at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu today, August 24, 2013.

For the people of the land-locked region and it’s environs stretching to the South South and parts of the Middle Belt, it has been a long dream come true; almost like a Long Walk To Freedom. Although the Enugu airport had in fact borne the name ‘International’ since it was officially so designated on December 17, 2010 by then Acting President Jonathan, all hope of actually playing host to international flights had remained forlorn for the people of the region-until today, that is!

When the President rolled out his Transformation Agenda with promises of a new dawn, a lot of hopes were expectedly raised. Now those hopes have crystalized into reality for people from the South East zone who were assured that the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, would truly answer its name in the lifetime of the Jonathan Presidency. This is concrete proof that this President keeps promises once they are made.

This historic international flight, perhaps the first since after the Civil War, is both symbolic and revolutionary. It symbolizes the end of an era where an entire region was almost shut out from the rest of the world, literally speaking, to one where the same enclave is now open to a new and exciting world of endless possibilities.

According to President Jonathan, “the South East Region of Nigeria, with this international airport, can confidently say to the world ‘we are open for business’! The region and it’s environs is indeed open for business. This inaugural flight is equally revolutionary as this singular development will certainly change the way of life of the inhabitants of the region, forever.

Before now, anyone residing in the zone and hoping to embark on international trip to other African, Asian, European and American countries had to suffer the agony of traveling to either Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja or Kano not out of choice but compulsion, to catch a flight. President Jonathan lamented this much at the same occasion when he stated thus:

”There was a very good reason for the decision to confer international status on this airport. As I am sure you all know, Enugu is the gateway to the South East Region, the home of entrepreneurship in Nigeria. With such a large number of enterprising people with a huge propensity to travel both within and outside the country pursuing various business interests, people of this region have always had to travel first, either to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja or Kano in order to be able to travel out of the country on business trips.

” As business people, speed and time are of the essence. Thus the ability to travel directly to your destination abroad or as directly from your base as possible, increases the speed of your transactions by reducing the time you spend traveling to and from there. The same applies to goods procured abroad and air-freighted into the country for business purposes. The more directly imported goods can be air-freighted to the region for its businessmen and women, the faster their goods and products can get to the market”.

The President could not have said it more succinctly. Interestingly, all this lamentation and agony is over. Ethiopian airlines, taking full advantage of world-class infrastructure at the airport, has banished all that agony and misery to the trash can of history as a whole new experience unfolds.

For a people known for their industry and enterprise, the opportunities which this international airport offer for the socio-economic development of the region are huge and boundless. With a large population of international businessmen and entrepreneurs, the zone could not have asked for anything better.

Gone are the days when businessmen from the zone would endlessly agonize how; having cargoed or ferried their goods from far-flung parts of the globe to either Lagos or Abuja, would face the fresh Herculean task of clearing and moving them, mostly by road to the South East.

Additional expense had been incurred, goods and lives even lost in this highly perilous journey from Lagos and Abuja to the east. With Ethiopian airlines now offering direct international flights from Enugu to almost any destination in the globe, the world is truly in the pocket of the South East. A new dawn is here. The world has in fact come to the east!

That is not all, neither is it even scratching the surface. The multiplier effect of the value chain that would be created as businesses spring up in and around the airport and the city of Enugu beats every imagination. The commercial offerings would not only boost the economy of the zone but also create thousands of jobs. The hospitality industry in the area is sure to witness a resurgence and boom.

Commerce, which is the major preoccupation of the peoples of this zone would begin to boom as the Onitsha and Ariaria International market, Aba begin to play host not only to the local folks, but also to a wider international business community. This is also not talking about the huge opportunity for easy export of manufactured and agricultural goods.

The local manufacturer in the remotest part of Aba and Nnewi and the rural farmer in Arochukwu would be exposed to the international markets as flights take off and land in Enugu from all corners of the globe. The possibilities are indeed endless, with the airport amongst the 13 also designated as perishable cargo airports in the country.
The vision of Mr President could not have seen the light of day without the drive and boundless energy of the Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah.

Under her watch, the entire aviation sector in Nigeria has been transformed from the once neglected, rustic and decrepit landscape to sprawling, edifying and dignifying architectural show-pieces that compare favourably with airport terminals anywhere in the world. But as Oduah has consistently maintained, what we are witnessing today in Enugu is just the beginning; more and more landmarks are underway. From what we have seen so far, we have no reason to doubt her.

For Ethiopian airlines that placed the bet on Akanu Ibiam International airport, Enugu, we can only wish it to fly higher. Surely, it won’t be long before other international airlines followed the Ethiopian example. For now, we cannot but agree with Mr President that the South East region is indeed “Open to the world for Business”.



Joe Obi, SA (Media) to the Hon. Minister of Aviation

REHOZIBAH: Peter Obi?? It seems to me you are hell bent on destroying the remainder of whatever integrity you have just because you what to either install a stooge or help PDP win Anambra by hook or crook? Posterity will not be kind to you whenever the history of anambra is been written

danny301: This gang up is performing better than Ekweremadu's group of lairs. Which PDP Governor is performing like Fashola, Amosun and that Ogun state's Governors?

olabukola: He wrote well but he sounded remorse, I think he learned a few things from all that happened so far.

As for the poster clamouring for no rent for people across the Niger, don't you think that will create a lot vacant property in SW. It makes no economic sense to me. How then do you recoup the funds invested in the property? We should be careful what we advocate for.

Going grass root with the write up is good at least it will awaken our zeal to separate but as far as we remain in the same country our hands are tied and what we can do or not do is very limited.

Did I hear you say Tinubu is sick? what is wrong with him if I may ask.

abadaba: Monkey, stop attacking the Igbo people in all your posts. Why are you so bitter in life.
Whether there are more Hausas than Ndigbo in Nigeria, that should be your headache but me as an Igbo will be happy to know how many we are. So deal with it , fool.

0lumide: Igbos beating their hairy chests again lmao!!!!!

Hausas are way more than Igbos - Fact !!!

Yorubas are way more than Igbos - Fact

Igbos are way more than Fulanis - Fact

But Igbos more than Hausas or Yorubas? buahahahahahahahahahahahhahaha...

You know what? let it come on.

But then, Igbos in Lagos will only count as Igbos population. but I will prefer to shut these tribal nut jobs up once and for all by allowing Igbos in Lagos to count as "Igbo Lagosians"...


Hausas have the biggest number in Nigeria and I don't think anyone can dispute that with chest beatings..

But the south is way more than the North no ffucking doubt!! but Hausas dominate the North while Yorubas dominate the south by a lesser percentage. These demographies may have changed but Idoubt it has by more than 2%

ikenga67: They are not posting because the topic does not allign well with the usual PDP/APC, Igbo/Yoruba miem they thrive on. Most of those kids are just here to cheerlead for their teams. Unfortunately, the Northern team is not fully formed on NL so the pugilists dont find this kind of topic sexy enough.

papparatzzi2013: These people and their headiness, chest-beating, and hollow grandstanding. they will still comply and re-comply self. this is part one. is in stages. whether you like am not, you will know say oga na Master. Carry that Complex to FCT, if it is federal govt property. federal govt left Lagos for good in 1991, so go and join FGN in Abuja. that you will not comply, Mba!!! we no go gree.

First is to close down the shop, secondly is to bulldoze it and third it will be rebuilt and given to law abiiding citizens of nigeria and not a criminal minded people and people that lack respect for constituted authorities, always playing ethnic trump cards. play it till thy kingdom come, no one cares again. this is battle to finish. start relocation your business to east if you are smart enough. 2015 is around the corner.

Enigma17: And some nobody somewhere will say GEJ is clueless......that is what i call acute badbelleism.......i can feel d fresh air blowing till 2019.....GEJ all d way

Ola Johnson: Mention the facilities that are owned the FG and private individuals that the LASG takes tax on.

ikenga67: During the last census, those data were supposed to be captured as well, but the Northern leaders threatened OBJ with a boycott of the exercise, and the gutless contractors and carpet-baggers that masquerade as SE leaders just caved in. It is a crime that just about eveything in Nigeria is doled out on the basis of state of origin and ethnic and religious classification, yet people will object to determining the true numbers of those classes. Just a fraud of a nation.

Ola Johnson: Ketu Mile 12 Market dominated by the Yoruba was once closed.

Olamagnifico: ibos dnt pay tax abeg... T.A ORJI dnt pay tax and he waz dealt wt