Aviation experts have questioned the Federal Government’s plan to reimburse the Yobe State Government N100.5bn for constructing the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu, raising concerns about the project’s cost, economic viability and long-term sustainability.
The experts, who spoke separately with PUNCH, argued that state-owned airports should be supported by credible feasibility studies, realistic passenger projections and clear plans for covering operational and maintenance costs.
Their reactions followed President Bola Tinubu’s request to the Senate on Tuesday for approval to issue a N100.5bn promissory note to reimburse Yobe State for the airport project.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu sought legislative approval for the promissory note through the Debt Management Office.
The President said the Federal Executive Council had approved the takeover of the airport, constructed by the Yobe State Government, and the reimbursement of its construction cost through a promissory note programme at its second extraordinary meeting held on May 23, 2023.
Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, has previously cautioned state governments against embarking on airport projects without conducting comprehensive economic and feasibility assessments. She noted that fewer than 10 per cent of Nigerians currently travel by air.
Aviation analyst and Aviation Round Table member Olumide Ohunayo questioned the wisdom of constructing airports that could be too expensive for state governments to operate and maintain.
Ohunayo acknowledged that airports could initially serve social and developmental purposes. However, he argued that problems arise when the scale of such projects exceeds the economic capacity of the states responsible for sustaining them.
He warned that some airport projects could be influenced more by political considerations than by genuine economic needs, particularly when construction takes place close to election periods.
The analyst also expressed concern that the prospect of eventual reimbursement by the Federal Government could encourage some state governments to overstate project costs or compromise construction standards.
He added that differences between the physical condition of certain airport facilities and the amounts being claimed for reimbursement could raise questions about the value delivered by the projects.
Meanwhile, former Rector of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Samuel Caulcrick, explained the constitutional provisions governing airport construction and aviation regulation in Nigeria.
Caulcrick said Item 3 of Part I of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution places aviation and airports under the Exclusive Legislative List.
He explained that state governments are permitted to construct, finance and maintain airports or airstrips within their territories, but they do not have the authority to regulate aviation operations, control airspace or issue aviation licences.
According to him, these regulatory responsibilities remain with federal agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
Source: PUNCH
