Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, on Tuesday, performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the Abia Airport project.
In a speech at the event held at Ubaha-Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, Keyamo said that the project was upgraded from an airstrip to an international cargo airport.
He described the airport as a presidential initiative because President Bola Tinubu instructed that no part of the country, particularly the South-East, should be left out of aviation development.
Keyamo said that the president specifically requested an airstrip for Abia State in the 2024 Budget due to his affection for the state and its governor.
He also said that Abia Government expressed willingness to partner with the Federal Government through counterpart funding to upgrade the project to an international cargo airport.
The minister highlighted the economic importance of Abia in the country’s industrial ecosystem.
He said that the state is considered the industrial hub of the South-East, producing many “Made in Nigeria” goods.
Keyamo further said that siting a cargo airport in the state would allow goods to be processed and exported directly, boosting logistics and economic activity.
He said that the airport would primarily focus on cargo operations to support industrialisation and trade in Abia and the South-East.
Keyamo said that an airport stands as an enabler that generates economic activities, and its construction should not be dependent on existing commercial demand.
He said that airports play a key role in enhancing connectivity and response to emergencies and Abia being excluded from the aviation ecosystem was deemed unacceptable.
He directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to prioritise employment for people in Nsulu, where the airport will be located, to give them a sense of belonging.
He said that funds were allocated in the 2024 budget to commence clearing and development.
Keyamo also said that the Deputy Speaker had promised prompt approval of subsequent funding in 2025.
He said that the initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to equitable infrastructure development, regional economic integration, and industrial growth in Abia.
In an address, Gov. Alex Otti of Abia said that the airport would accelerate the socioeconomic development of the state.
Otti thanked the president for his commitment to boost socioeconomic advancement of the zone.
He said that the State Government had commenced preparation for the payment of compensation to genuine land owners.
Otti also said that the project would be completed in 36 months and thanked everyone that contributed to marking it a reality.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Benjamin Kalu, expressed confidence that the project would be completed in record time because “Abia is blessed with a governor that understands the importance of synergistic partnership”.
Kalu said that he would work assiduously to ensure that any fund appropriated for the project received speedy approval by the House.
“The people with me here are members of the House from different parts of the country.
“We are promising Abia people that when the budget comes we will look out for the budget that is going to benefit Abia Airport and we will approve it,” he said.
Also, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, expressed the determination of the president to deliver the dividend of democracy to the citizens.
Onyejeocha said that the people of Abia stood to gain enormous economic benefits from the siting of an airport in the state.
The lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency, Chief Ginger Onwusibe, thanked the president for the resolve to build an airport in Abia.
Onwusibe said the project would contribute greatly to the achievement of critical infrastructure development in the area.
In a remark, the Chairman of Board of Trustees, Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, expressed delight over the fact that “an airport would be built in Abia in our lifetime”.
Wabara also expressed delight over the upgrade of the project from an airstrip to an international airport, where Boeing 737 aircrafts would land.
The Commissioner for Transport, Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu, described the project as a foundation for the future of economic growth and progress in Abia.
Ukaegbu said that the vision of the airport aligned with the government’s commitment to position Abia as a key economic hub in Nigeria and beyond.
In separate speeches, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr Chaka Chukwumerije, and the Airport Project Coordinator, Mr Okorougo Aji, said that 1,325.86 hectares of land were acquired from nine Nsulu Communities for the project.
They said that Abia Government was working assiduously to ensure that compensation was paid to all those whose land made up the project space.
They also said that Nsulu was chosen as the site for the airport because “all the analysis indicated that the place passed the requirements for an airport”.
A prominent son of Nsulu, Chief Ncheta Omerekpe, thanked the Federal and State Governments for the decision to site an airport in the area.
Omerekpe described the project as a welcome development and appealed to Abia Government to ensure that due compensation was paid to land owners.
The event was attended by top government functionaries and prominent Nigerians from different walks of life. The project is being handled by Craneburg Construction Company.