Key players across the country’s aviation sector have condemned the refund of funds used to construct some state owned airports to the affected states.
The stakeholders, who argued that most of the state owned airports are not viable hence wasteful, revealed how the federal government is being blackmailed to take over some of the airports, which are subsequently transferred to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The latest uproar about the refund of such funds to the affected states could be traced to the recent submission of the 2025 appropriation bill to the National Assembly by the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo.
In the bill which is already undergoing review, the sum of N4 billion has been budgeted to Kebbi State government as a refund for the construction of the Birnin Kebbi airport.
According to a document sighted, the Federal Government, through the ministry of aviation and aerospace development marked the N4 billion item as “ongoing” with the reference number: SGF. OP/1/5.3/VIII).
Experts in the sector, had opposed the practice, saying that the Federal Government was being arm-twisted to make the refund to the State Government and others who only embarked on airport construction for the purpose of diver aircraft funds.
According to a source: “I think the urge for the state governments to eat part of their cake and still have it is for them to run into construction of airports and still re-represent them to the Federal Government to take over through refund.
“The state governments are not sincere with their interest in the construction of airports. Most of them invest in the sector for diversion of funds. I still don’t see any reason a state government will build an airport, then turn around to beg the Federal Government to take it over and seek a refund. In the last five years or so, the Federal Government has taken over no fewer than three airports in – Kebbi, Jigawa and Gombe states. What is the justification for this? They are just an additional burden on FAAN.”
Commenting on the development, a renowned labour leader, Comrade Olayinka Abioye, while describing the urge for airport construction by state governments as unwarranted, however, declared that handing over of state-owned airports to the Federal Government was unnecessary, though there are precedents.
Abioye, who insisted that there was no justification for the ongoing construction of Ekiti airport because of its closeness to Akure Airport and predicted that it would be a failure, remarked: “For instance, I do not see any justification for Ekiti State to own an airport. I kicked against it from the beginning and till now. Now, they have a problem. Look at Akure Airport, how many kilometers is it to Ekiti State even though the roads are bad? When that airport becomes fully functional and open to commercial aircraft, we want to see how many passengers it will get in a year. These are some of the issues we are raising.”
For a former Acting Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Abdullahi Sidi, most of such airports don’t generate funds for the states and lacked economic benefits and without any viable reasons.
Rather than concentrate on the construction of airports, the state governments could divert such funds to other more impacting projects and development of improved basic amenities Sisi declared.
He however kicked against the takeover of such airports by the Federal Government, and while saying that some Nigeria’s policymakers are shortsighted in their visions, Captain Sidi queried the costs of taking over such airports by the Federal Government, adding that State governments must have concrete reasons for taking over such airports.
His words: “Presently, FAAN has about 22 airports or more directly under its control, but what are the benefits of these airports in terms of economic benefits and serving the people of such states? A lot of such airports are just lying flat with many having only one flight a day.
“Sokoto airport hardly have three flights a day; same thing as Maiduguri, Gombe, Yola and even Asaba airports. Dutse Airport as it is today, doesn’t not have any flights. The money they are putting into the construction of these airports can be diverted into education. Facilities in our schools are dilapidating at alarming rates. Same thing applies to the Ogun State Cargo Airport; I am sure it doesn’t have any flights today. That is another waste by the State Government.”
According to another aviation expert, Captain Mohammed Badamasi, it was wrong for the Federal government to refund State governments for a project initiated and completed by them without any memorandum of agreement that says that the airport was being built on behalf of the Federal Government.
Badamasi insisted that the State governments lacked the vision for such a project, but only interested in refunds especially when the cost of running the airports was capital-intensive and not profitable.
He predicted that it would take several years of operation before the N4 billion refund to the Kebbi State government would be recovered, saying that this is also largely dependent on the revenue generated from its utilisation.
Maintaining that the N4 billion fund could have been used to fund some other projects in the country, Badamasi said: “These unviable airports, including the Kebbi, are now liabilities to the Federal Government. How does the Federal Government recover the money paid to the State governments on business that is unprofitable?
“The airport is a liability to the government. The Federal Government should stop taking over liabilities from State governments henceforth.”
The National Assembly had in October 2024 approved over N24 billion as a promissory note refund to the Kebbi and Nasarawa State governments for construction works on the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin-Kebbi and the Lafia Cargo Airport.
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The Federal Government assumed control and ownership of the two airports, necessitating a reimbursement to the State governments.
According to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Kebbi State is to be reimbursed N15,137,336,095.88 for the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin-Kebbi, while Nasarawa State would receive N9,542,651,786.11 for the Lafia Cargo Airport.
Also, in 2022, the Gombe State Government claimed that it spent over N11 billion on its airport and demanded a refund from the Federal Government the same year.
The airport was the same year taken over by the Federal Government so that it could serve dual purposes of commercial and military use.
