Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu has called on the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to urgently repair the lighting system at Sultan Abubakar III International Airport. The request was made ahead of the 2026 Hajj airlift, with concerns over the airport's operational readiness for religious pilgrims. The appeal was detailed in a statement released on Wednesday in Sokoto by the governor's Director-General. The faulty lighting system has reportedly hampered night operations at the airport, raising safety concerns for incoming and outgoing flights. Sultan Abubakar III International Airport serves as a key departure point for Nigerian pilgrims from the northwest region. The governor emphasized the need for timely intervention to avoid disruptions during the annual Hajj exercise.
A governor should not have to beg for basic airport functionality two years before a predictable religious event. The fact that Ahmed Aliyu is already lobbying for repairs at Sultan Abubakar III International Airport in 2024 for a 2026 Hajj airlift suggests federal aviation planning runs on reaction, not foresight. If the Federal Ministry of Aviation waits until a crisis emerges, pilgrims from Sokoto may face last-minute flight changes or cancellations again. This delay pattern means Nigerian travelers are routinely treated as afterthoughts in national aviation planning.
