Ebonyi state has one of the biggest untapped potential in Nigeria. It is unacceptable to allow an airport project go to waste and turn into a series of white elephant projects.

The following are my proposals to the government of Ebonyi state to act on immediately and with a sense of urgency.

1) Privatize the airport completely or workout a public private partnership agreement on a 30 years lease to a private company to take over and further develop the airport.

2) Give lucrative incentives to the private entity that takes over the airport. For example, given them a 10 year tax holiday and slowly increase taxes afterwards.

3) Build an industrial and manufacturing zone close to the airport. Starting with Agro-Allied industries.

4) Convert the airport into an integrated airport city and make it a free trade zone. It will be a one stop shop for business.

5) With the free trade zone status, the airport becomes the biggest cargo airport for evacuation of produce from Ebony state.

6) Invite people from the diaspora to set up their business in the zone. There are so many people in the diaspora that will like to process agricultural products in Nigeria and ship it to where they live at.

7) invite various retail establishments to set up branches inside the airport. Give them good economic incentive.

8 ) lnvite the hospitality sector to build nice hotels around the airport. Give them nice incentives.

9) Build up the tourism potential of Ebonyi state and use the airport as an arrival destination for tourists all over the world. Ebonyi state is perfect for Eco tourism.

If it was a hospital will it be out of use?
Airport without passengers or flights equals to airpark

Nokio2:
If it was a hospital will it be out of use?
Airport without passengers or flights equals to airpark

The mistake can be fixed but the governor has to act fast as I stated above.

The Ebonyi Airport if planned well can service people living in Ebonyi, northern parts of cross river and Abia state because it’s closer to them than any other airports around.

If all goes well, people from Cameroon may land there and drive across the border because it’s closer to them than their main national airport.

Ok

The governors are using airport to cash out look at nasarawa state airport in makurdi,abuja and Jos less that two hrs awaybut u insist on building new one,when 90%percent of state are farmers. ..

Change the name of the airport

Nokio2:
The governors are using airport to cash out look at nasarawa state airport in makurdi,abuja and Jos less that two hrs awaybut u insist on building new one,when 90%percent of state are farmers. ..

I will say an unpopular opinion amongst Nigerians but if you take time to think about it, you will realize that it’s true.

All 36 states in Nigeria can have their own airport and they all can be viable and profitable if planned well. Not all airports have to be for passengers. Some can be for cargo and light aircraft’s.

horsepower102:
Ebonyi state has one of the biggest untapped potential in Nigeria. It is unacceptable to allow an airport project go to waste and turn into a series of white elephant projects.

The following are my proposals to the government of Ebonyi state to act on immediately and with a sense of urgency.

1) Privatize the airport completely or workout a public private partnership agreement on a 30 years lease to a private company to take over and further develop the airport.

2) Give lucrative incentives to the private entity that takes over the airport. For example, given them a 10 year tax holiday and slowly increase taxes afterwards.

3) Build an industrial and manufacturing zone close to the airport. Starting with Agro-Allied industries.

4) Convert the airport into an integrated airport city and make it a free trade zone. It will be a one stop shop for business.

5) With the free trade zone status, the airport becomes the biggest cargo airport for evacuation of produce from Ebony state.

6) Invite people from the diaspora to set up their business in the zone. There are so many people in the diaspora that will like to process agricultural products in Nigeria and ship it to where they live at.

7) invite various retail establishments to set up branches inside the airport. Give them good economic incentive.

8 ) lnvite the hospitality sector to build nice hotels around the airport. Give them nice incentives.

9) Build up the tourism potential of Ebonyi state and use the airport as an arrival destination for tourists all over the world. Ebonyi state is perfect for Eco tourism.

Easier said than done. Ebonyi simply need to key ik into areas where they have comparative advantage. Which is agriculture.

That airport was a ddicck measuring contest went wrong.. Nobody wise business man will take these advice from you because the airport is simply not viable.

horsepower102:


I will say an unpopular opinion amongst Nigerians but if you take time to think about it, you will realize that it’s true.

All 36 states in Nigeria can have their own airport and they all can be viable and profitable if planned well. Not all airports have to be for passengers. Some can be for cargo and light aircraft’s.

This is FALSE because the aviation industry isn't subsidized like advanced countries, making air travels very costly. Before you build an airport, you carry out a feasibility study of the project. Check out what planes charge in Nigeria and assess the income of the people who live in the state. People who you target in Cross River and Cameroon are the poorest. The richest amongst a people often live in the capital cities.

Given the GDP and IGR of that new state, Dave Umahi shouldn't have built that airport. It was totally unnecessary. He should have invested that money in building factories that process agric produce that Ebonyi State has competitive advantage of. Better still, use that money to empower all those Ebonyi hustlers and change their lives forever. They will come back and transform their state. He can even make it an interest-free loan payable in 10 years.

The truth is that you are asking private investors to come and put in their money there, but nobody invests where there's no guaranteed ROI. According to official records, there are just few viable airports in Nigeria. So, I don't understand the obsession with building airports all over the place. One major problem we have in Nigeria is that our politicians don't run states like business enterprises. They throw money around because it's available and it's not theirs. They don't consider the returns they'll make after investing in projects.

Ok!

IDENNAA:


Easier said than done. Ebonyi simply need to key ik into areas where they have comparative advantage. Which is agriculture.

That airport was a ddicck measuring contest went wrong.. Nobody wise business man will take these advice from you because the airport is simply not viable.

Agreed that the airport is currently not viable but the points I raised can help to make it viable. If you give business people proper incentives by reducing the risk of the investment, they will come on board.

SoNature:


This is FALSE because the aviation industry isn't subsidized like advanced countries, making air travels very costly. Before you build an airport, you carry out a feasibility study of the project. Check out what planes charge in Nigeria and assess the income of the people who live in the state. People who you target in Cross River and Cameroon are the poorest. The richest amongst a people often live in the capital cities.

Given the GDP and IGR of that new state, Dave Umahi shouldn't have built that airport. It was totally unnecessary. He should have invested that money in building factories that process agric produce that Ebonyi State has competitive advantage of. Better still, use that money to empower all those Ebonyi hustlers and change their lives forever. They will come back and transform their state. He can even make it an interest-free loan payable in 10 years.

The truth is that you are asking private investors to come and put in their money there, but nobody invests where there's no guaranteed ROI. According to official records, there are just few viable airports in Nigeria. So, I don't understand the obsession with building airports all over the place. One major problem we have in Nigeria is that our politicians don't run states like business enterprises. They throw money around because it's available and it's not theirs. They don't consider the returns they'll make after investing in projects.

Give private sector attractive incentives and see if they won’t find a way to make the airport viable. Government has to de-risk the investment to attract private investment.

Multiple companies can form a consortium so the risk is spread.

Eventually Ebonyi will need airport. The problem right now it that it was not ready for it.