馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
FAAN Managing Director cautions states against unviable airport projects
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN, has advised state governments against initiating airport projects without thorough economic and feasibility assessments. She highlighted that less than 10 percent of Nigerians currently travel by air, with approximately 17.5 million air travelers recorded in 2025 out of a population of 220 million. Kuku emphasized that building and maintaining airports requires substantial financial commitment beyond just terminal construction, including runways, firefighting equipment, and trained aviation security personnel to meet global standards. She urged states to consider the economic viability of such projects and to actively create economic activities like sporting events, manufacturing, agriculture, or cargo operations to generate passenger and cargo traffic. While acknowledging that some airport projects are justified by security and accessibility concerns, Kuku stressed the importance of also strengthening road and rail infrastructure as part of a multimodal transportation approach. She warned that airports lacking sustainable traffic projections and supporting infrastructure could become expensive assets with limited returns.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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