Aviation stakeholders have called on state governments to develop functional business plans before proceeding with cargo airport projects, warning that poorly conceived facilities risk wasting public funds. The advice was given in separate interviews on Sunday in Abuja. Experts stressed that cargo airports, designed for goods like agricultural produce and machinery, require strategic planning around demand, airline partnerships, funding and regulations. John Ojikutu, CEO of Centurion Security and Safety, said fewer than 20 million Nigerians use air transport, while over 100 million rely daily on roads, water, electricity and healthcare. He warned that building airports without economic justification diverts resources from essential services. Ojikutu cited Nasarawa State's airport, completed in 2022 at a cost of about N10 billion, as an example of poor planning, noting it remains largely unused with no commercial operations timeline. The federal government has agreed to take over the facility and compensate the state. In contrast, he praised Ogun State's Gateway International Airport, which began passenger operations in October 2025 and plans to launch cargo services in 2026. The airport's four-kilometre runway can handle large cargo aircraft, and it has secured partnerships with logistics firms. Abdulmalik Musa, business development manager at Abuja Aero Contractors of Nigeria Limited, said cargo airports face higher financial and operational risks than passenger airports. He said Lagos handled 116.7 million kilogrammes of cargo in 2024, out of a national total of 159.4 million kilogrammes, and currently manages over 80% of Nigeria's air cargo. Musa noted that although 13 airports were designated for cargo operations in 2013, only a few are fully functional.
Nasarawa State spent about N10 billion on an airport that remains idle since 2022, while Lagos handles 80% of national cargo traffic with limited relief from other facilities. Building airports without operational plans means public funds are locked in white elephants instead of roads, power or healthcare. Ogun State's phased, partnership-driven approach shows planning can work, but most states are not following that model. For Nigerians relying on basic services, the cost of political airport projects is measured in what never gets built.
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