It is yet another opportunity to fritter away scarce funds. Contrary to earlier promises, Aviation Minister, Mr Osita Chidoka announced last week that the federal government would soon commence the construction of airports in Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Bayelsa and Kebbi States in furtherance of efforts to link the 36 states of the federation by air. Chidoka also said this would enhance the establishment of cargo terminals and movement of farm and other produce from the hinterlands to both the local and international markets.
On the surface, this seems well-intended. But given the prevailing economic situation in the country, this is a political decision that would create additional cost centres for the federal government. It is neither well- conceived nor is it in the interest of the Nigerian people. We therefore ask the National Assembly not to appropriate money for the airports should the executive decide to go ahead with the idea. That the government could contemplate building new airports after indicating that existing ones would be privatised because it does not have the resources to continue to fund them makes little or no sense. Only recently, the same Chidoka spoke about enabling the private sector to take over the development of airport infrastructure, confirming the growing feeling that this government is not committed even to its own policies.
There are several reasons why it is difficult to understand why government would decide on building new airports, especially at a time it is unable to complete the rehabilitation of terminals which it embarked on since 2011 and which have to date gulped over N20 billion. Incidentally, the minister had promised that contractors would resume work on the projects but since this assurance was given a few months ago, nothing has happened. Now, the same government will expend billions of Naira to build airports that will serve merely as further drain pipes on the economy.
It is our considered view that building new airports should not be the priority of government since those already existing are largely not viable. Part of the problems stems from the fact that there are no plans to allow concessionaires to take over some of these airports and build businesses that will attract patronage to them. None of these airports also have good security and perimeter fencing as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and that is safety critical requirement for airports. This then explains why none of Nigeria’s airports has been certified by ICAO and yet the government is thinking of building more.
As things stand today, there are several inadequacies at the existing airports that should worry the authorities. But it would seem the preoccupation of some people is to award contracts. For instance, Nigerian airports do not have adequate fire cover and the country does not have the requisite facility for regular and adequate training of personnel. Another important element that is lacking in many airports is airfield lighting, a major reason why airlines cancel flights since most of the airports shut down by 6 p.m. It is only the airports in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Osubi that have runway lights, yet lack of that critical infrastructure thwarts flight schedules of airlines, just as they lose huge resources by not operating their flights into the night in some of the airports.
It is expected that the aviation minister should pay more attention to these critical elements needed to ensure safe operation of flights than to building more airports. Besides, the existing ones have not met the minimum international standards and the rehabilitation of airport facilities was stopped midway on account of lack of funds. There are also arguments that the plan to build five additional airports runs contrary to the Privatisation Act of 2000. We consider the idea of building new airports to be another effort at wasting public resources.
