I have perceived a certain element who are happy as long as the Anambra people are down and quiet. The other time Flavor was asked to go to his home state and protest. Suddenly , somebody forgot the united Igbo sermon..lol. Flavor gladly moved himself to Anambra , protested amidst admiration by Ndi Anambra. Ndi Anambra ebiro na offia.
If you dont like these sort of comments then leave us alone. Ana esi unor dilu mma puta ilo.....charity begins at home.
Their unity proposition is just targeted to keep you others in mud with them.
Funny enough nobody condemn such statement.
Their igbo mantra have different definition and at different times.
Orient Petroleum is drilling it's own oil at Otuocha/Aguleri axis, while the Indian owned SEEPCO is drilling at Ogbaru (near Onitsha). The one in Ogbaru borders Rivers/Delta states.
Overall, Anambra has large deposits of hydrocarbon spreading from Otuocha/Aģuleri down to Ogbaru.
Anambra Int’l airport project financed by state govt, not FG — Adinuba ON JANUARY 20, 20213:31
By Nwabueze Okonkwo, ONITSHA
Anambra state government has debunked a statement recently credited to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika to the effect that the on-going Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport project located at Umueri community in Anambra East Local Government Area of the state is among 10 airports in the country being built by the federal government.
The state Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba in a press statement, said although the federal government appreciated the need for an airport in Anambra state given the huge population and the universally acknowledged business dynamism of the people who constantly travel around the world, the on-going Airport project is being developed and financed solely by the state government.
Adinuba noted that the supposed claim by Sirika, before the Senate Committee on Aviation that the Federal Government is building 10 airports in the country, including in Anambra State, much as the state government is convinced that the minister was misrepresented by the report published in an only one national daily, the state considered it imperative to state certain key facts about the on-going airport development in the state for purposes of historical accuracy.
Also read: INEC fixes Anambra governorship election for November 6 According to Adinuba, “The Federal Government is not building any airport in Anambra State, The project which is one of the two biggest airports in Nigeria, with its runway covering 3.7 kilometres long and its control tower made up of 11 storeys, the tallest in Nigeria, the project is solely the brainchild of the state government”.
“The airport which will be ready for commissioning in April, this year, is the most modern in Nigeria, designed to revolutionize commerce in Nigeria, particularly export and import business. Anambra people are easily the greatest importers in West Africa, and the people have 63 major markets, including the famous Onitsha Market, the biggest open market in West Africa. Modern and big as Anambra State International and Passenger Airport is, the state government is building it without a loan from any financial institution anywhere in the world”.
“The other mega projects being executed by the state government without credit facilities from any financial institution include the International Conference Centre in Awka, with 10,000 – sitting capacity, the largest in Africa, and the Awka City Stadium”.
“However, the Federal Government has been very cooperative in developing the airport. The state government, for instance, has been working closely with the Federal Civil Aviation Authority, FAAN and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA to actualize the gigantic project”.
On October 5, 2020, Governor Willie Obiano, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at State House in Abuja, visited Minister Sirika where they discussed progress on the airport. James Odaudu, the Director of Public Affairs in the Ministry of Aviation, subsequently issued a statement with the caption “Sirika lauds Gov Obiano as Anambra Cargo Airport Ready in April 2021″.
It read in part: “The minister said that the project will positively impact on the economic development of the state and the Southeast region as a whole and that the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its agencies will always give the necessary guide and cooperation to states embarking on such projects in order to ensure that all internationally set standards are met”.
“According to Sirika, airports can be viable if they are built with specific objectives in mind, and expressed the belief that the Anambra airport will be successful in serving the interests of the trading population of the state and environs”.
“Chief Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace, West Africa’s biggest airline, is among aviation chiefs who have visited Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport in recent days and expressed strong views about the vision and foresight and commitment of the state government in building the airport which will last for up to 100 years because of the quality of the materials and the competence of the contractors.
“The people and government are delighted that the state is now living up to its reputation as the Light of the Nation”.
The state government has done it's part by exposing SEEPCO, and I think they are now trying to formalize their business in Anambra
State gov’t would have finished doing its part when it retrieves all the billions due it from the federal gov’t and SEEPCO: taxes; levies; and 13% derivation payments! I reckon they’re owed nothing less than taarty billion!
State gov’t would have finished doing its part when it retrieves all the billions due it from the federal gov’t and SEEPCO: taxes; levies; and 13% derivation payments! I reckon they’re owed nothing less than taarty billion!
NWANNE, INNOSON HAS OIL COMPANY.
ANAMBRA STATE SHOULD TAKE OVER THE FACILITIES AND HAND IT OVER TO INNOSON.
ANAMBRA STATE AND INNOSON HAVE BEEN DOING BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME WITH MUTUAL BENEFIT.
WE TRUST INNOSON WOULD ENSURE THE LOCALS ARE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED.
mktinsight: Airports as ready made tools for fleecing public funds By Wole Oyebade 07 February 2021 | 4:11 am
10 New Airports On The Way
THE Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, at the Year 2021 budget defence before the Senate Committee on Aviation, had hinted that at least 10 new airports would be coming on stream to underscore the fact that the country’s Nigerian aviation sector has come of age.
“We have additional 10 new airports coming up. That is almost half the number of airports we used to have in Nigeria. We are adding 50 per cent of the number of airports. These are (new) airports coming up in Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Lafia, Lokoja, Damaturu, and so forth. All of these show that civil aviation is growing during this administration,” he said.
Sirika added that the Federal Government, through FAAN, was also in the process of taking over airports at Kebbi, Osubi, Dutse, and Jigawa. The Gombe State government had also written to the federal authorities, asking it to take over the Gombe Airport. Except the privately-owned Osubi Airport in Delta State, which is still in dispute, all others were built and operated by their state governments.
The New Oil Boom: Agro-cargo?
AIR cargo export potential readily features in the justification of building new airports. The Minister didn’t fall short of this well-worn argument in advancing the cause of a Lokoja Cargo Airport, Kogi State.
“Lokoja is an important Northern town. Lokoja is a cosmopolitan town; it’s a mini Nigeria and it is extremely very important in the growth and development of our country. We have a lot of agricultural activities around there. There is fishery; there is perishable item production and so on. So, siting an airport there is quite apt. For me, it is something we should have done long ago for its importance,” Sirika said.
The argument was the same in Ekiti when Governor Kayode Fayemi, marked the first anniversary of his second-coming. On the agenda was the Ekiti State Airport, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to cost N20b.
Indeed, the project dates back to 2010 when the Federal Government denied approval and sponsorship of an airport request by the state government. President Goodluck Jonathan in October 2013 relived the dreams when he announced plans to build an airport in Ekiti. Until he left office, nothing was heard of the pledge.
Governor Ayodele Fayose’s administration did egg on with the project by clearing the 4, 000 hectares of land spanning Ado-Ijan-Igbemo and Afao Ekiti, dispossessing rice plantations that attracted litigations. The project was initially estimated to cost N3b. Upward reviews took the cost to N9b, N11b and eventually N17b.
Fayemi’s Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Values Orientation, Olumuyiwa Olumilua, said the current administration was most determined to build the Ekiti Airport to meet the growing need of agribusiness.
Ogun State has two airport sites approved and awarded as contracts by two administrations within 10 years. Former governor Gbenga Daniel’s government commenced work on the site of Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport located at Ilisan in the Ikenne Local Government Area of the state in 2005.
His successor, Ibikunle Amosun, now a senator, hatched yet another plan to build a cargo airport, at Imosan Village, Wasimi, Ewekoro Local Council. Currently, the proposed airport has only a perimeter fence demarcating the five-by-five kilometre piece of land.
Amosun had in 2015 noted that the airport project at Imosan is a Federal Government-owned venture, but Ogun was ready to facilitate it “to better the lot of the agrarian residents.” He had in 2018 assured that the project would be completed by March 2019 before his exit from office. But nothing changed on site till he left office.
Airports Underutilised, Unviable
ANOTHER contrast to the cargo argument is that local airports nationwide still have their revenue earnings largely dependent on passenger traffic, than on freight services. As of 2019, over 70 per cent of aviation revenue earnings were from passengers that travelled through airports nationwide.
Factsheet obtained by The Guardian showed that except the trio of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Omagwa, Rivers State, none of the other airports has sufficient revenue to cover the cost of operations. Self-evident is their gross underutilisation nationwide.
Cumulatively, they cost the FAAN at least N44.39b loss for keeping them in operations, and overhead of 10, 000 workforce in the last three years. The breakdown of revenue and expenditure of FAAN headquarters in 2017-2019 showed that the body generated a total of N16.09b in three years, and collected N15.02b. It, however, spent a total of N59.41b, leaving a deficit of N44.39b in three years.
In-house sources said that the deficit was not unconnected with efforts to keep the low-income airports running. Indeed, a closer look at the revenue earnings of some of the airports showed poor viability across the board.
For instance, the Kaduna International Airport that was upgraded during the 2017 closure of Abuja airport has, in the last three years, pooled a total of N1.027b in generated revenue. Of this sum, N716.7m was collected. However, the expenditure was in excess of N4.41 billion, leaving a deficit of N3.69b.
The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, did not fare better. The airport in 2017, 2018 and 2019 pooled a total of N8.28b in generated revenue. Collected was N7.16b. Its expenditure was a total of N9.6b, leaving a shortfall of N2.44b.
The Kastina Airport in three years made a total of N250.8m in generated revenue, out of which only N42.1m was collected. Its cost of operations was put at N1.58b, leaving a deficit balance of N1.54b.
The Sokoto Airport recorded a total of N725.7m generated revenue, out of which N400.1m was collected. The cost of operation was in excess of N2.71b, which gave a shortage of N2.31b.
In the South, Ibadan Airport in three years made a total of N349.2m in generated revenue, and collected N244.9m. The expenditure amounted to N1.39b with a deficit of N1.14b.
The Ilorin International Airport generated a total of N437.1m revenue in three years and collected N264.2m. The expenditure was in excess of N2.453b, leaving a shortfall of N2.19b.
Ditto for the Akure Airport. The facility pooled a total of N175.8m in generated revenue, and collected N168.7m. Expenditure was, however, N1.06b, leaving a difference of N893.7m.
The Benin airport in Edo State also ran at a loss. The airport generated a total of N993.2m in three years and collected N930.1m. The total cost of operations was put N2.02b, leaving a shortfall of N1.09b.
The Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, had a total of N540.8m generated revenue, though collected more, put at N559.6m, the expenditure was as much as N2.50b, giving a deficit of N1.94b.
Similarly, The Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, amassed a total of N1.25b in generated revenue and collected N1.08b. Expenditure was, however, N2.50b, with a shortage of N1.42b.
Ending Me-too Syndrome
THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) lately stated that for an airport to be viable and self-sustaining, it must have at least five million passengers a year. Today, only Lagos and Abuja airports could boast of at least five million passengers in a year.
An operator, who prefers anonymity said that as long as the political class and state governors, either for want of a signature project, or easy avenue to loot state resources, do not understand the demands of a functional modern airport, FAAN would continue to face funding constraints.
He said the best bet is to stop granting airport approvals to state governors who just want to have an airport like their next-door neighbours, to make a political statement.
“Where in the world is it done that a governor would spend state’s resources to build a facility and a few years later, the assets and its liability are transferred to the Federal Government to own? That is what happened with the Kebbi, Gombe, Dutse and the likes, where they have just one or two flights in a week. The sitting governors have realised that they are just routinely pumping in scarce resources into these facilities and getting almost nothing in return. So, through the backdoor, the ‘liability’ is pushed to FAAN.
“I am surprised that the minister is indulging these governors to do more of such white elephants. Why build more airports when the existing ones are grossly underutilised, unviable and a burden to FAAN? The funds to build new airports should have been pushed into some of our major airports to keep them optimal and generate more revenue than their operating costs. Maybe for security reasons and for military use, no state should be building any useless airport during a pandemic,” he said.
Apparently in agreement, aviation consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Beljune Konzult Limited, Chris Aligbe, said the airports are readymade tools in the hand of politicians. Aligbe estimated that while these unviable airports are government-owned, some were built by state governments for political aggrandizement.
“It was after building them that they found out that they don’t have the resources to run them, and they quietly pushed them to the Federal Government through the back door. That is how they get into the care of FAAN.
“But we cannot shut them down, especially for political reasons. It is never going to be easy. If you try to do that, the impact will be more on the northern airports than on the ones in the south. The only airport in the South that has become a ghost of its old self is the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar. It records only one flight a day since Donald Duke left office as state governor. The Victor Attah International Airport in Akwa Ibom has taken over and commanding the most passenger traffic around that flank. Owerri is bubbling; Enugu will pick up because at a time, it was behind Lagos and Abuja, even ahead of Port Harcourt International Airport.
“But in the North, you will have to shut down Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, Minna, and maybe Ilorin airports, among others. In the South West, you may need to shut down the Akure Airport. Hence, it becomes highly political and more dangerous. So, for the length of time that it will take the airlines to bounce back, the agencies and the airports will have to keep running with government’s support,” Aligbe said.
The Secretary-General of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), said that Nigeria already has more than enough of unviable airports that lacked justification for their investment.
Ojikutu said outside the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, none of the other airports could have their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) sustain their operations’ running costs.
“None of these (unviable) airports have passenger traffic that is significantly more than 400,000 yearly, and therefore earning about N200 million Passenger Service Charge (PSC) and possibly not more than N100m for landing and parking.
“Monthly staff salaries, maintenance, operating costs, and so on cannot be less than 10 per cent of the total earnings. That is why there would always be a need for intervention for other airports from the two viable ones.”
He added that for as long as there were political motives rather than economic, safety and security behind the development of our airports, “we can never get strategic policies of our development right.”
Ojikutu recalled that when the traffic was up, not many of these airports were operating optimally, including those that have been opened to restart operations in the COVID-19 era.
“How much earnings were we making when the flights and passengers traffic were up? Why is it that we are not learning from those of the developed countries in aviation technology and commercial aviation that have reduced their fleet, staff and spread of operations drastically to a level of the start of aviation many years ago?
“Do we really know the worth of our airports, or the actual contribution of Nigeria’s commercial aviation to the GDP? What is the total annual earnings of the domestic airlines and the regulatory agencies? The National Assembly that yearly appropriates funds to the sector without serious oversight on the cost of operations and the appropriations is a delinquent accomplice,” he said.
To save costs, Ojikutu advised the government against new airports. But, to concession the non-aeronautical facilities at all the existing airports – not just the big four in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano – to run efficiently and profitably. He said the Lagos and Abuja airports should be concessioned in blocs with four or six other unviable airports.
Good Road And Rail Network, Not New Airports
EVEN though Akin Obafunwa, a director at an agro-allied company admitted that Ekiti and some states have huge agricultural potential, he doubted that such warrants sinking huge investment to create airports that would end up process one-flight per day.
Obafunwa said that state governors should focus more on regional road networks to ease connectivity among neighbouring states, adding that all states already have at least one or two airports within close proximity to explore for agro-export.
He observed that Ekiti, formerly a part of Ondo State, has an airport in Akure and another in Ibadan, Oyo State. Osun State was carved out of Oyo, which already has Ibadan Airport that is rarely serviced by air. Lokoja has one in Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In addition, Ogun State is about 80 kilometres away from Lagos, which is the hub of aviation in Nigeria. Anambra is less than 100 kilometres to Enugu Airport – the hub of aviation in the South East. Nasarawa State is very close to Abuja and less than 70 kilometers to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the proposed Abia Airport, which is less than 60 kilometres to the Owerri Airport.
Obafunwa said: “From Akure Airport to Ado Junction is a six-minute drive. Ado Junction to Itaogbolu is 10 minutes. Itagbolu to Iju is four minutes. Iju to Ikere is five minutes and Ikere to Ado is 10 minutes. Total minutes spent between Akure to Ekiti when the road was good were about 35.
“Besides, driving from Ibadan Airport to Ado Ekiti should not take more than 90 or 120 minutes maximum. Ado to Abuja International Airport is about four hours. So, who needs a cargo airport in Ekiti?
“I think the governor, whom I admire, should be thinking of rail services that will link all parts of the state. A rail system from Efon Alaaye should link towns like Aramoko, Erio, Igede, Ayedun, Ijero, Ijesha Isu, Oye, Ifaki, Erinjiyan, Iyin, and Ikere Ekiti, down to Akure Airport. This will be more viable, create employment and economic growth for the state and the region,” Obafunwa said.
Another stakeholder, who would not want to be mentioned, told The Guardian in Lagos that most of the airport projects were suspicious and should be discouraged.
The Ekiti indigene said the state had little to gain compared to the huge investment. “Ekiti has no agro product it wants to export that it can’t do via Akure Airport. Simply build the required warehouses. We pleaded with our friends in government to persuade the governor not to waste Ekiti scarce resources on this drainpipe, but he didn’t seem to be persuaded. Ado Ekiti is less than one hour from the Akure Airport. The road is bad, but Ondo and Ekiti can hook up with FG to have a good dual carriageway to Akure.
“This airport idea was initially propelled by a university proprietor that has enormous influence in the state, and probably was looking for where to be landing his private jet, and that of his friends. But at what cost? The rush for the state airport is not ego, but some other things we all know.”
A member of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), a think-tank group of the local sector, Olumide Ohunayo, offered that the states might have genuine needs for aviation facilities, but they don’t necessarily have to be expensive airports.
Ohunayo said if the needs were that pressing for cargo or whatsoever, they could afford to build just an airstrip and in partnership with the private sector, adding that it would be out of place for even the government to be considering new airports during a pandemic.
“The ministry and the government have not come out clearly to state that they will be building 10 airports and if it becomes a fact, then there is a problem somewhere. In a situation where airlines are down, aviation is not growing and everything is on standstill, instead of maintaining or restoring infrastructure, you are trying to add more even when they are not generating money, then that is a problem for us all.
“What we should begin to do is to tilt different airports to different functions. All of them should not be built with the impression of receiving big aircraft to operate schedules from the triangular route (Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt). There should be airports that can do short hauls.
“For most state governors, the airport projects is a way of taking huge money from the treasury. Abeokuta does not have roads and manufacturing industries are complaining. Instead of fixing those roads in Ogun State, they are talking of building an airport when there is Lagos and Ibadan close by.
A state like Ekiti can in fact look for an airfield that can take smaller aircraft. Having a big airport will not be economical, when you already have about three airports in neigbouring states. Benue, Ogun and Osun also do not need big airports. Maybe airfields for their needs. There is nothing wrong in having airports in all the states, but for the priority of what you really need,” Ohunayo said.
Aregbesola concluded his term without delivering on the airport mandate, nor gave Osun State “the new dawn”. Ortom of Benue and Fayemi in Ekiti, and others still in office should not be intransigent in the airport infrastructure infatuation. Unlike Aregbesola, the latter are better placed to make good decisions for which they would wish to be held accountable after office.
This is a beautiful article dispensing hard facts. I've told several people in this thread that their airport obsession is driven by their "we sef get our own airport" vanity, and an airport is a white elephant project that will bleed tax-payer resources with no productive returns but they're dreaming that the airport will turn Anambra to Dubai and that somehow, our local businessmen will start using airfreight to transport their goods instead of containers in the sea ports. But applying logic is a waste of time when people can't see past their own vanity-driven pipe dreams. This airport like all other state airports will be handed over to FAAN to manage at massive annual losses. And all this for a state with a very tiny landmass that is already surrounded by airports on all sides. Obiano is a clown and his administration is a failure.
You are calling a governor a clown, it is actually your own useless good for nothing father that's a clown.
Enemies of Anambra. Witches from hell, your plan is for Anambra to remain without airport but you demons have failed.
It is vanity project because Anambra is building it, but it is not vanity project in other states. These are demons that Obiano envisaged and decided to build airport without much publicity because they would have succeeded in disrupting the project. Obiano was smart. You guys failed because the project is almost ready for commissioning.
Anambra needs international airport more than all the states in Nigeria except Lagos, but evil creatures like you from hell always come here to spew nonsense.
We don't need your useless advice, our international airport will be ready for use soon. Keep crying over this airport. Evil minded creatures
This is a beautiful article dispensing hard facts. I've told several people in this thread that their airport obsession is driven by their "we sef get our own airport" vanity, and an airport is a white elephant project that will bleed tax-payer resources with no productive returns but they're dreaming that the airport will turn Anambra to Dubai and that somehow, our local businessmen will start using airfreight to transport their goods instead of containers in the sea ports. But applying logic is a waste of time when people can't see past their own vanity-driven pipe dreams. This airport like all other state airports will be handed over to FAAN to manage at massive annual losses. And all this fa state with a very tiny landmass that is already surrounded by airports on all sides. Obiano is a clown and his administration is a failure.
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Obiorah, Anambra international airport is almost completed, you cannot do anything about the project anymore because your evil mission has failed flat. You are quoting your fellow demon, both of you have failed flat.
This is a beautiful article dispensing hard facts. I've told several people in this thread that their airport obsession is driven by their "we sef get our own airport" vanity, and an airport is a white elephant project that will bleed tax-payer resources with no productive returns but they're dreaming that the airport will turn Anambra to Dubai and that somehow, our local businessmen will start using airfreight to transport their goods instead of containers in the sea ports. But applying logic is a waste of time when people can't see past their own vanity-driven pipe dreams. This airport like all other state airports will be handed over to FAAN to manage at massive annual losses. And all this for a state with a very tiny landmass that is already surrounded by airports on all sides. Obiano is a clown and his administration is a failure.
Why this airport pains you people so much is still a huge mystery! Even Ebonyi state with a small economy that is building a potentially bigger airport isn't receiving this type of useless envy from non-indigenes of Ebonyi state.
Now look at Anambra and compare its economic indices to other states in Nigeria. Bayelsa state built an airport to support its economy, yet you were not hysterical about it. Akwa Ibom also did! Just like Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe, Nasarawa! Even Delta state built a SECOND airport in Asaba simply because Anambra refused to support its economy with an airport!
Now we all know that Anambra indeed deserves an airport. Infact, it is among the top 5 states in Nigeria where experts had previously identified the need for an airport to support commercial activities and ease of doing business. If Nigeria were not such as anomalous place, the Federal Government would have completed the Anambra airport that Alh. Shehu Shagari identified as a critical national infrastructure in 1982!
Again, people from Enugu are first to claim that Anambra airport would diminish the importance of Akanu Ibiam international airport. This is purely nonsense and gross ignorance as 90% of the Onitsha business community still use Lagos airport for their trips to China. Also if you have lived abroad, you will know that airports don't operate like bus parks where every plane will go to London from nearby airport or go to New York from nearby airports. Enugu airport can focus on Asian cities and Asian airlines while Anambra airport focuses on European cities or European airlines or vice versa. It is exactly how Port harcourt airport flies to routes that are different from route flown through Enugu airport. There is a reason for that! Airports within drivable distances often focus on different niches so that people going to a specific geographical parts of the world will fly in or out through one airport.
The sad thing with the experience of Igbos in Nigeria is that we were held down for too long by telling us that an airport in Enugu will close down Lagos airport and all those nonsense that we have come to believe these falsehoods as fact. It is a shame when i see some people simply argue against Anambra airport because of the unfounded fear that the airport in their state will "close" or turned into a bus park if they allow an airport anywhere else in the southeast. One even said we should build one airport like America in New York and use it. I laughed so hard and told the girl that America has more than 50 airports of the size and capability of JFK. Yet it is only 1.5 times greater than Nigeria's population! Not t mention that within a space of between New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, there are 5 MEGA international airports to serve a population size less than Lagos! Not to mention Logan International in Boston that is within 30 minutes drive from Connecticut! Yet, all the airports are doing fine because some focus on Canada and Caribbean flights, some focus on Europe, Some Focus on Asia and Africa, etc. The village mentality that if development spreads, then my area will not be developed is how Nigeria has kept itself undeveloped by refusing to develop certain parts of the country. You guys should know that the Nigerian state's ideology is a sick man's ideology and stop brining it into Igboland.
Well said. These clowns knows all these facts you have stated but because they have evil in their mind toward the airport project, there evil mind won't allow them to think nor reason like normal people. That explains why they have been doing everything possible on this thread. But unfortunately for them while they were here yapping and crying the actual work on the project was ongoing on site.
Why this airport pains you people so much is still a huge mystery.
Now look at Anambra and compare its economic indices to other states in Nigeria. Bayelsa state built an airport to support its economy, yet you were not hysterical about it. Akwa Ibom also did! Just like Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe, Nasarawa! Even Delta state built a SECOND airport in Asaba simply because Anambra refused to support its economy with an airport!
Now we all know that Anambra indeed deserves an airport. Infact, it is among the top 5 states in Nigeria where experts had previously identified the need for an airport to support commercial activities and ease of doing business. If Nigeria were not such as anomalous place, the Federal Government would have completed the Anambra airport that Alh. Shehu Shagari identified as a critical national infrastructure in 1982!
Again, people from Enugu are first to claim that Anambra airport would diminish the importance of Akanu Ibiam international airport. This is purely nonsense and gross ignorance as 90% of the Onitsha business community still use Lagos airport for their trips to China. Also if you have lived abroad, you will know that airports don't operate like bus parks where every plane will go to London from nearby airport or go to New York from nearby airports. Enugu airport can focus on Asian cities and Asian airlines while Anambra airport focuses on European cities or European airlines or vice versa. It is exactly how Port harcourt airport flies to routes that are different from route flown through Enugu airport. There is a reason for that! Airports within drivable distances often focus on different niches so that people going to a specific geographical parts of the world will fly in or out through one airport.
The sad thing with the experience of Igbos in Nigeria is that we were held down for too long by telling us that an airport in Enugu will close down Lagos airport and all those nonsense that we have come to believe these falsehoods as fact. It is a shame when i see some people simply argue against Anambra airport because of the unfounded fear that the airport in their state will "close" or turned into a bus park if they allow an airport anywhere else in the southeast. One even said we should build one airport like America in New York and use it. I laughed so hard and told the girl that America has more than 50 airports of the size and capability of JFK. Yet it is only 1.5 times greater than Nigeria's population! Not t mention that within a space of between New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, there are 5 MEGA international airports to serve a population size less than Lagos! Not to mention Logan International in Boston! Yet, all the airports are doing fine because some focus on Canada and Caribbean flights, some focus on Europe, Some Focus on Asia and Africa, etc. The village mentality that if development spreads, then my area will not be developed is how Nigeria has kept itself undeveloped by refusing to develop certain parts of the country. You guys should know that the Nigerian state's ideology is a sick man's ideology and stop brining it into Igboland.
FOXDOSSIER: Well said. These clowns knows all these facts you have stated but because they have evil in their mind toward the airport project, there evil mind won't change. That explains why they have been doing everything possible on this thread. But unfortunately for them while they were here yapping and crying the actual work on the project was ongoing on site.
Again the clown kept mentioning the unviability of Birnin-Kebbi airport, Gusau airport, Gombe airport and the likes as their reason why airports should not be built in even viable places!
Again, in 1982 when the President Shagari's administration wanted to build an airport in Onitsha despite knowing there was an airport in Enugu, it was purely based on economic reasons! Now Shagari did not mention building an airport in Birnin Kebbi because he knew it didn't make the same economic sense as a federal airport in Onitsha!
But the Nigerian tribal factor ensured the Onitsha airport was never built! Instead they used the funds to build airports in Makurdi and Yola! Again, i would expect those fake airport viability economists to come and tell me that if Onitsha airport had been built the same time as Markudi and Yola airports, it would have been unviable like the others.
We all know Anambra deserves an airport and we all know it will be one of the most viable in the country. So why throw that silly argument that Nigeria built unviable airports in Potiskum out of tribalism and it didn't work, so don't build airport in Anambra or Lagos where airports are indeed needed?
Also the silly argument that one airport is in Enugu which is 100 KM away would have made sense if the roads were maintained to the highest standards and the airport in Enugu equipped with the proper equipment to enable it function as a true international airport that can take any type of plane from anywhere in the world. After all the brouhaha of closure of the Enugu airport for one whole year, the FG still did not elongate the 3 KM runway by one inch, did not build a taxiway and did not install ILS Cat 2 Systems to enable it function as a true International airport. Yet, they have devoted N30 billion naira to install these facilities at Katsina airport! Which rarely receives even domestic flights! It all goes to tell you that they are not sincere about their argument. It is merely a ploy to keep you down perpetually while citing bogus incoherent argument that does not match the reality on the ground.
See video of the marvelous expressway between Enugu and Anambra for those people pretending that an expressway of less than 100 KM exist between Enugu and Anambra. Those of you pretending that they didn't know that it takes more than 5 hours to drive from Enugu to Anambra on the so called "Federal Expressway!
Nwanne you are too much. I dey remove cap for you. See how you dismantled those demons with facts and figures. These are witches in broad day light. They attack any good thing they see. Obiano envisaged these demons when he decided to build the international airport without media publicity. Good job
Again the clown kept mentioning the unviability of Birnin-Kebbi airport, Gusau airport, Gombe airport and the likes as their reason why airports should not be built in even viable places!
Again, in 1982 when the President Shagari's administration wanted to build an airport in Onitsha despite knowing there was an airport in Enugu, it was purely based on economic reasons! Now Shagari did not mention building an airport in Birnin Kebbi because he knew it didn't make the same economic sense as a federal airport in Onitsha!
But the Nigerian tribal factor ensured the Onitsha airport was never built! Instead they used the funds to build airports in Makurdi and Yola! Again, i would expect those fake airport viability economists to come and tell me that if Onitsha airport had been built the same time as Markudi and Yola airports, it would have been unviable like the others.
We all know Anambra deserves an airport and we all know it will be one of the most viable in the country. So why throw that silly argument that Nigeria built unviable airports in Potiskum out of tribalism and it didn't work, so don't build airport in Anambra or Lagos where airports are indeed needed?
Also the silly argument that one airport is in Enugu which is 100 KM away would have made sense if the roads were maintained to the highest standards and the airport in Enugu equipped with the proper equipment to enable it function as a true international airport that can take any type of plane from anywhere in the world. After all the brouhaha of closure of the Enugu airport for one whole year, the FG still did not elongate the #KM runway by one inch, did not build a taxiway and did not install ILS Cat 2 Systems to enable it function as a true International airport. Yet, they have devoted N30 billion naira to install these facilities at Katsina airport! Which rarely receives even domestic flights! It all goes to tell you that they are not sincere about their argument. It is merely a ploy to keep you down perpetually while citing bogus incoherent argument that does not match the reality on the ground.
See video of the marvelous expressway between Enugu and Anambra for those people pretending that an expressway of less than 100 KM exist between Enugu and Anambra. Those of you pretending that they didn't know that it takes more than 5 hours to drive from Enugu to Anambra on the so called "Federal Expressway!
Why this airport pains you people so much is still a huge mystery! Even Ebonyi state with a small economy that is building a potentially bigger airport isn't receiving this type of useless envy from non-indigenes of Ebonyi state.
Now look at Anambra and compare its economic indices to other states in Nigeria. Bayelsa state built an airport to support its economy, yet you were not hysterical about it. Akwa Ibom also did! Just like Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe, Nasarawa! Even Delta state built a SECOND airport in Asaba simply because Anambra refused to support its economy with an airport!
1) I'm from Anambra. Lose the sentiments and focus on the substance of the argument. 2) Ebonyi's airport is an equally insane vanity project 3) All the other states you're calling didn't need an airport either. Well, maybe a few Northern states other than Kano due to the vast landmass and issues of accessibility may need airports. Anambra's airport considering the accessibility of surrounding airports is a dumb vanity project. 4) An airport will not support Anambra's economy. It will be a net drain on resources which will rot like most public utilities in Nigeria rather than a source of growth and revenue. Stop deceiving yourselves with fantasies. Arguably as many high net-worth individuals (the kind of people who would use airports) live in states like Enugu and Delta than Anambra and airports have not turned those states to Dubai.
Now we all know that Anambra indeed deserves an airport. Infact, it is among the top 5 states in Nigeria where experts had previously identified the need for an airport to support commercial activities and ease of doing business. If Nigeria were not such as anomalous place, the Federal Government would have completed the Anambra airport that Alh. Shehu Shagari identified as a critical national infrastructure in 1982!
No state "deserves" anything. That's like saying I "deserve" my own private jet. Who are these experts that identified the need for an Anambra airport? You've already proven why it's a vanity project by pointing out Onitsha was earmarked for an airport but Delta pre-empted this by establishing one in Asaba which is separated from Onitsha by a bridge. Therefore in still choosing to build an airport when Asaba airport can easily serve all Onitsha travelers, you're proving that it's just an ego trip to sate your vanity, so that you can say "we sef get our own airport". Airports are money guzzlers and pretty damn hard to maintain. It's hard enough maintaining the only 2 commercially viable airports in Nigeria in Lagos and Abuja. To believe this can be undertaken in Anambra is a fanciful delusion.
Again, people from Enugu are first to claim that Anambra airport would diminish the importance of Akanu Ibiam international airport. This is purely nonsense and gross ignorance as 90% of the Onitsha business community still use Lagos airport for their trips to China. Also if you have lived abroad, you will know that airports don't operate like bus parks where every plane will go to London from nearby airport or go to New York from nearby airports. Enugu airport can focus on Asian cities and Asian airlines while Anambra airport focuses on European cities or European airlines or vice versa. It is exactly how Port harcourt airport flies to routes that are different from route flown through Enugu airport. There is a reason for that! Airports within drivable distances often focus on different niches so that people going to a specific geographical parts of the world will fly in or out through one airport.
The sad thing with the experience of Igbos in Nigeria is that we were held down for too long by telling us that an airport in Enugu will close down Lagos airport and all those nonsense that we have come to believe these falsehoods as fact. It is a shame when i see some people simply argue against Anambra airport because of the unfounded fear that the airport in their state will "close" or turned into a bus park if they allow an airport anywhere else in the southeast. One even said we should build one airport like America in New York and use it. I laughed so hard and told the girl that America has more than 50 airports of the size and capability of JFK. Yet it is only 1.5 times greater than Nigeria's population! Not t mention that within a space of between New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, there are 5 MEGA international airports to serve a population size less than Lagos! Not to mention Logan International in Boston that is within 30 minutes drive from Connecticut! Yet, all the airports are doing fine because some focus on Canada and Caribbean flights, some focus on Europe, Some Focus on Asia and Africa, etc. The village mentality that if development spreads, then my area will not be developed is how Nigeria has kept itself undeveloped by refusing to develop certain parts of the country. You guys should know that the Nigerian state's ideology is a sick man's ideology and stop brining it into Igboland.
I can guarantee you nobody has ever claimed the emboldened above. Nobody. Some of you are just so wrapped up in victim narratives that you victimize yourselves even when no one is victimizing you. Of course airports are needed in the East. A tiny state like Anambra surrounded by accessible airports does not need to prioritize a vanity white elephant project when the state is lacking in so much critical infrastructure that will actually impact the lives of taxpayers. The only international airport in the whole East (I'm including both the SE and SS) that is even close to being viable is Port Harcourt airport. It's funny how this airport was marketed as a cargo airport as if air freight which is very expensive will ever be a primary means of international freight in a shiithole like Nigeria. It's also funny to see you comparing American states to Nigeria. New Jersey has a far bigger GDP than the whole of Nigeria. New York's GDP is about 4 times the whole of Nigeria's. Infact, 15 American states each have a bigger GDP than the whole of Nigeria. And you're comparing their need for airports with Anambra's. Will you also compare the need for stadia in America to Anambra. If we decide to build a 100,000 seater stadium in Anambra like some NFL or MLB teams in the US, do you think it will be a viable money spinner like American stadiums or it will just rot like the national stadiums on life support in Nigeria. Which do you think is likely?
