ABIA INTERNATIONAL CARGO AIRPORT, ADDING TO THE STREAMS OF GOOD NEWS.
In a matter of a few hours from the time of my writing this piece, the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo Esq. will be on ground in Abia State to flag off the construction of Abia International Cargo Airport in Nsulu, about 10kms from Umuahia. This historic flag off ceremony promises to be the mother of all flag off ceremonies just following the epic commissioning of construction works of the Umuopara ring road project and the four lanes Onuimo bridge to Umuahia tower project in less than a week. Without doubt, the governor Dr. Alex Otti is answering his critics with more and more projects. Therefore let the criticism flow so that the projects can also keep flowing with it.
There’s no gainsaying that the Airport gateway project is a critical piece of infrastructure in any functional economic ecosystem. The trajectory of economic catholicon being conceptualized by Dr. Alex Otti since taking over the reigns of power on May 29th, 2023 which saw to the creation of industrial packs in Owaza; modular refinery project, gas processing plant, fertiliser plant etcetera, Aba international markets, Enyimba International Hotel project, Aba manufacturing hub etcetera are all playing up to the icing of the cake with an international cargo Airport gateway to tie the knots. Indeed, the Airport project is a masterful strategy to integrate all development efforts in one ecosystem. Let us praise the governor for this.
I can vividly remember when we formed Abia Infrastructure Mandate, AIM to take our infrastructure deficit frustration to the powers that be in 2022, chief among our laments before Ikpeazu was the fact that all Southeast regional states had airports located in their geographical boundaries. We specifically told then governor Okezie Ikpeazu that Abia state could not afford to bear the pains of having airports in Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo with non in our own state.
We informed him that airports in those other four Southeast states had become a sort of identity projects for them and that Abia state must be identified with one to calm the psyche of our people who then felt left behind in all scheme of things. To further strengthen our argument, we introduced to him companies that we knew had capacities to build the Airport under a green bond PPP investment portfolio requiring Abia not to spend its one kobo till project completion. But neither Ikpeazu nor his appointees understood the arts of critical thoughts process needed for such undertaking. He listened to us but never heard what we were saying until he was chased away by Abians at the 2023 elections to begin the New Abia government under Dr. Alex Otti.
No amount of cynicism by known critics will detract the economic importance of citing an Airport gateway in Abia soil. It is both a priority and economically viable judging from all conceivable data. The economic, industrial and commercial hub within the ecosystem defined by Ukwa, Aba and Umuahia business district provides more than enough viability for such Airport location at Nsulu. Besides, the population data in those defined boundaries in the excess of 2 million with exploding commercial, industrial and startup SMEs supports an Airport gateway in the near proximity to enhance economic activities.
Some of the arguments that having Imo Airport close by invalidates the viability of the project still misses the point since Portharcourt International Airport located just 18 nautical miles away from Owerri airport could not stop Owerri Airport from being one of the busiest airports gateways in Nigeria. Asaba airport is just 12 nautical miles away from newly inaugurated Anambra airport at Aguleri. Anambra airport is doing well today. Lagos state is planning a new airport at Ibeju Lekki axis which when completed will be 12 nautical miles away from Ikeja Airport. Don’t forget that both Ikeja local airport and its international wing, two airports are coexisting together with both handling two segments of air transportation. When the Abia airport is completed at Nsulu, it will be about 10 nautical miles from Imo Airport.
In the international scene, Gatwick airport and Heathrow London are just 15 nautical miles away from each other, ditto is JFK New York and Laguardia airports coexisting at less than 8 nautical miles of each other and both operating in New York state of America. I think the criteria in citing an airport should be consistent with the economic activities as well as the human traffic expected to drive it. Both of these numbers are very much assured.
Therefore instead of criticizing the airport initiative by Dr. Alex Otti, we should rather be counting our blessings for his uninterrupted streams of infrastructure projects that are bringing more caterpillars in Abia destinations.
I believe our bets on Dr. Alex Otti during the 2023 election wasn’t misplaced at all. Thank you governor Otti for giving Abia an airport gateway. Posterity will celebrate your good thoughts.
Long live Abia State
Dr. Engr Odo Ijere
Okpotemba of Ohafia.
