POSITIONED FOR THE LONG HAUL
The maintenance, repairs and overhaul facility at the Victor Attah International Airport is carving Akwa Ibom out as an aviation hub, writes Bassey George
When Akwa Ibom launched Ibom Air in 2019 (with three planes), not many people gave it a chance. It however, had great reviews from fliers. In a short time, it became the preferred choice of some fliers to routes such as Abuja and Lagos. To those going to Uyo, it informally earned itself the status of the signature airline. Today, Ibom Air is growing stronger with seven aeroplanes – five Bombardier CR900 and two Airbus A220-300 – and flying 11 routes to six across the country. It also commenced flights to Accra, Ghana, last year.
But it was not just Ibom Air, an initiative of the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration, that was catching on. There was also the renovation of taxi-way and terminal at the Obong Victor Attah International Airport. And most importantly, the commencement of the Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) where aeroplanes are refurbished, maintained and serviced. Among experts, the lack of adequate number of MRO facilities is a bane of aviation growth in Africa. Hence, the excitement about the MRO at Akwa Ibom, which coincidentally is the first of its kind, not only in the country but also in West Africa.
Unlike in some states where there is little or no continuation in governance owing to various reasons, this is not the case in Akwa Ibom. The current Akwa Ibom governor, Pastor Umo Eno, is keen on completing whatever the Udom administration left unfinished. In addition to its own programme.
In fact, following a visit to President Bola Tinubu to intimate him on ongoing activities in the state and how the federal government can assist the state, Umo Eno told reporters that Ibom Air is now fully out of the state government control and being fully run as a commercial entity. No doubt, the state learnt wisely from the demise of Nigeria Airways and avoided the pitfall of government running business. But there was also a particular request among other requests Umo Eno made of President Tinubu, the import of which may have gone unnoticed by many Nigerians. And that was the assistance with the MRO facility.
Governor Eno knows that alone, he can go fast, but with collaboration, he can go far. Hence, what he is seeking with the federal government is to position Akwa Ibom for the long haul. It’ll be great to win, not just for Akwa Ibom, but for the whole of the south-south region and Nigeria.
It should be recalled that that visit was not his first to President Tinubu for the purpose of seeking federal assistance for state projects. In June 2023, Eno also visited Tinubu for federal government support on the Ibom Deep Sea Port project, the Calabar-Itu Road and the Export Free Zone licence for the MRO hangar at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo. Aside from the focus on producing oil palm for local consumption as well as for export, the January visit was more or less to concretise on the same projects.
About a week after Umo Eno’s visit to Tinubu in Abuja, the minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), was in Uyo on a working visit. On his tour of the Victor Attah International Airport, Keyamo too expressed surprise at the level of work at the new terminal and on the MRO facility which is already at 95% completion. “This is an incredible facility you have here,” said Keyamo. “One of the first things I identified when I came into office was the need for us to have a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria, a world-class one and what I have seen here, meets that need.
“The potential of this place is huge. It’s about 90-95 percent complete and by the time it becomes fully operational, I am very certain it will capture the whole of the markets in West and Central Africa and even up to North Africa and that’s what we have been looking for.
“One of the problems hampering the operation of the aviation sector in Nigeria has always been the lack of facilities such as this. Our aircraft will go out of the country for maintenance and may be there for months. But with this facility, we can conserve foreign exchange so they may meet their international obligations.
“What we have here is a hidden jewel, but it’s all for the good of our dear nation,” he continued, addressing an audience which included Eno and members of his cabinet, the Managing Director of Ibom Air, Captain Mfon Udom, the Chief Operating Officer of the airline, George Uriesi and other stakeholders.
“This is so beautiful. I have never seen a subnational that is so dedicated, so committed to a project of this magnitude as much as Akwa Ibom State and God has blessed this state with successive governors who have put their minds to this, and Governor Eno is the finisher and perfecter of this race.
“ By the time we do all our certifications, I am sure we will be ready for the world. This facility is not just for Akwa Ibom State alone, it is for Nigeria and Africa.”
Now, for people that are not aware of the significance of the MRO facility, it may seem as if the words of the Akwa Ibom State government were just noise. They are not. There is a whole load of concerted efforts geared at positioning the state as an aviation hub. These efforts did not start overnight.
On May 28, 2023, the Akwa Ibom State Government commissioned the International Terminal, Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) facility, a new taxiway and an apron extension at the Victor Attah International Airport. These would not immediately start yielding fruits but in the long run, it would carve Akwa Ibom as an aviation hub. It would not just be passengers trooping into the state. No, while having passengers visit Akwa Ibom is a good thing, that is not the only vision. The end goal is for planes to start flying in, to get maintained, repaired and overhauled. It would be a source of employment for aeronautical engineers. It would also be a source of foreign exchange revenue.
Goerge writes from Uyo
