Airlifting the Kaduna Economy

By Nasir Dambatta

“Kaduna Airport, which used to be the aviation hub in the North-West, is now an eyesore. It has been neglected for years. The infrastructure is dilapidated. There are hardly any flights to the airport. We have lost investment opportunities due to the state of the airport.” —Gov Sani

Until the moment Governor AUba Sani stepped up action, there was incalculable loss of revenue for the Federal Aviations Authority(FAAN) and missed opportunities of visits by Foreign Investors — for Kaduna State Government.

The situation began deteriorating when the Kaduna Airport that was recording up to 250 passengers daily reportedly came down to less than 500 passengers in a week.

Federal Aviations Authority was also hit. “FAAN charges N2,000 on each passenger as passenger service charge (PSC) which meant that the authority would be losing about N500,000 daily from PSC alone. This translates to about N100 million monthly”, reports showed. Imagine the loss of N100 million for the approximately one year and seven months that the Kaduna Airport has not been on operation. Intervention became not just desirable but necessary.

The Governor’s recent startling announcement to pursue the revival of the Kaduna International Airport shimmers with the significance of the growing need for the fine-tuning and repositioning of the economy of societies according to emerging global demands and the political commitment of the leaders of the entities to cause that to happen for the socieities’ rapid growth and prosperity.

Since the evolution of modern societies, the economy of an entity has as much been about foreign investments and the accessibility of the entity to the foreign investors as it has been about the potentials the entity possesses in terms of the raw materials, services and the enabling environment for the processing of goods and services, as well as smooth export-import flow.

Governor Sani, by his remarkable resolve to see to the upscaling of the Kaduna International Airport by the Federal Ministry of Aviation, the custodian of the airport, seem to have appreciated this critical reality.

He seems to have appreciated the enormous reality that for the rapid growth and prosperity of the economy of a modern society, foreign investment and the positive disposition of foreign investors to do business with the society are utmost importance.

For the legal and smooth flow of foreign investors, there are three gateways into every modern society: the land border entries, the seaports and the airports.

Kaduna State lacks the first two; it has the third which, albeit, conducts international operations seasonally – for Muslim and Christian pilgrimage flight operations.

If Kaduna State must develop free, smooth and sufficient flow of foreign investors, it must ensure the upscaling of its International Airport to the true status of such – all-year-round, not seasonal, international operations.

This is in light of the fact that in the modern world, the most-massive investor flow and shuttles are conducted through the airports. The seaports only implement the decisions reached at the meetings of the investors and the leaders of the entities that desire investments in terms of the processing of products and the manufacture of goods and services.

Clearly realising these critical demands of modernity and the expansive urgency of Kaduna to grow and prosper its economy commensurate with its groundswell of human and natural resources, Governor Sani wasted no time launching his administration to the pursuit of the revival of the Kaduna International Airport to the status of a true international airport.

Consequently, he recently held a fruitful meeting with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja. They discussed a wide range of issues, especially his renewed efforts at ensuring that flight operations resume at the Kaduna International Airport.

Governor Sani delayed no action in expressing his deepest lamentation to the Minister that the Kaduna Airport, which used to be the aviation hub in the North-West, is now an eyesore.

Hear the Governor: “It (the airport) has been neglected for years. The infrastructure is dilapidated. There are hardly any flights to the airport. We have lost investment opportunities due to the state of the airport.”

The Minister wholeheartedly agreed with Governor Sani that considering the importance of the Kaduna International Airport, which also serves as an alternative to Abuja International Airport in emergency situations, it must not only be functional, but should be an airport with world class facilities, especially as the construction of the second runway at the Abuja International Airport will commence soon.

It is heartwarming that the Minister promised to embark on a working visit soon to Kaduna International Airport to see things for himself and for immediate action.

The Governor disclosed to the Minister that Kaduna State Government had opened discussions with some airlines on the need to commence operations to Kaduna Airport.

Governor Sani said with a loud bang: “I had personal engagement with the Chairman of Air Peace, Barrister Allen Onyema, and United Nigeria Airlines on the urgent need to commence operation into and out of Kaduna International Airport. I am delighted to announce the resumption of commercial flights in and out of the Kaduna International Airport by Air Peace, commencing from the 23rd October, 2023.”

Senator Uba Sani also expressed confidence that the decision of Air Peace to commence commercial flight operations into Kaduna International Airport on 23rd October 2023 remains sacrosanct, following his meeting with the Chairman of Air Peace, Barr. Allen Onyeama. He described Barr. Onyeama as a true Nigerian patriot and a great friend of Kaduna State.

The Kaduna State Government seems poised to give Air Peace all the assistance it requires to make its commencement of flight operations into Kaduna Airport a reality.

Governor Sani also minced no words in encouraging other airlines to resume operations into Kaduna.

We can now count on the Governor’s last words of assurance: “The airport is viable. Kaduna is a choice destination for investors. Our people are welcoming”.

Dambatta is Senior Special Assistant ( Print Media) to the Governor.