Auchi Airport: A White Elephant Project?
One would have been glad to hear and be fully persuaded that the federal government tentative approval for an Auchi airport in Edo North Senatorial district is not political if definite economic prosperity catalysts are available. It is not clear how the Auchi airport will boost economic activities in the state where there are only two production firms and low passenger traffic in the entire senatorial district.
The Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, said to journalists on the tentative approval of the airport that “This is not a political project. Between Benin City and Abuja on this axis, which is more than 600 km, there is no airport. From the transportation standpoint, it makes a lot of commercial sense to have an airport in Edo North. More importantly, there are emerging businesses, particularly in the areas of mining and academia. There are two cement companies producing over six million tonnes of cement on this axis. There are a lot of activities to support an airport in this area.”
Talking about the commercial sense of having an airport in Edo North, the governor should begin by telling the people how viable the airport will be; the numbers of those who visit Edo North; the frequency of their visits; the international investment in the district, and how he’s packaged the huge tourism potentials that could bring about the utilization of the said airport. Without these in place, the airport would be underutilized – one that will only be operational during the Omega Fire Ministry International conferences and political campaigns!
In October 2022, the Lagos state government announced the construction of a new airport on a 3,500-hectare site in the Lekki-Epe area to commence in 2023. Note that there have long been calls to have additional airport to Lagos air capacity to take care of the ever-growing economy. With the industrialization of the Lekki-Epe area and the net worth of people resident there, anyone can agree with the move of the state government for the airport. I wish it is the same case with the Edo state government on the Auchi airport!
Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, described most of the airports established by state governments as white elephant projects. He said that aside from Lagos, which has 65 per cent passenger traffic, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and most of the other states’ airports lacked the required 500,000 to one million passenger traffic on yearly basis.
The belief of state governments that construction of airport in their states will attract investment is an error in governance. With the Benin airport, the government can easily attract investors to Edo North’s huge mineral resources provided there is maximum security for lives and properties, stable power supply, lower corporation tax rates, and a good road network connecting the senatorial district with Benin City.
On Thursday, March 16, 2023, Governor Obaseki visited the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and criticized his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, for building another university instead of dealing with the problems facing the institution. Every one would expect a man who uttered such wise statement to live by it; in this case, to upgrade the Benin airport rather than the information that he’s got a tentative approval from the federal government to build another one in Auchi. Well, before your mind tells you that he’s one among the many who dress in full regalia to the pulpit and tell the congregation to do what he says and not what he does, let me remind you that Obaseki is not a pulpiter and he may never be. He has probably thought of what will be renamed after him some years to come and he chooses airport. The Edo state government might one day rename the Edo State University, Uzairue as Adams Oshiomhole University. So, if Obaseki succeeds at building Auchi airport today, it might at some later years be renamed Godwin Obaseki airport, Auchi.
The economic problems of Edo North Senatorial District are not the ones that the presence of an airport will solve. No, not now. Edo North needs a government that will build her good road network, primary healthcare, water, tourism industry, and attract investors to her mineral resources. The government attention in these areas will not only be well utilized but bring about huge economic prosperity. Auchi or Edo North airport is not needed now, like Jos, Sokoto, Birnin Kebbi, and other airports that lack economic activities, it would be underutilized and will not bring economic prosperity to the people.
—By Jayms Smart
jaymssmart@gmail.com
