Last year, Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah launched the airports’ remodelling project designed to upgrade all airports in the country. But after the pomp and celebration that greeted the launch, the questions are: When will the project be completed? What is the cost? KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR writes.
The euphoria that greeted the airport remodelling project of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, is gradualling giving way to skepticism. This is because not much has been seen or heard about the projects contrary to the high expectations raised when it was launched amid pomp and celebration.
At the inception, she stressed the need to give the nation’s airports a face-lift being the first point of contact with the country by foreign visitors.
Some of the questions raised by stakeholders are: Will the Federal Government complete the remodelling of the 22 airports on schedule? Have the projects met the prescribed international standards? and, is the quality of work done at some of the terminals commensurate with the amount spent?
These and other questions continue to agitate stakeholders who are watching the progress of the ambitious airport remodelling project embarked upon by the Federal Government.
While opinions remain divided over the necessity, or otherwise of the project, some stakeholders argue that remodelling the 22 airports is good for the industry.
Their position is predicated on the many years of neglect, decay and abandonment of the airport infrastructure spanning over 30 years.
But the concern remains that contract details of the airports remodelling project are shrouded in secrecy. They argue that the refusal by the supervising Ministry to come clean with the total project cost is suspicious.
The former Assistant Scribe of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, said all the noise about remodelling airports across the country is a ruse, saying that given the level of work done so far, it is difficult to ascertain that the best has been given in terms of quality.
“The renovation of airports is naturally a good initiative, but the work is not properly done. The poor quality of work done is the reason the whole thing is becoming an issue. The contractors must be called to order. The Senate must take steps to probe the airport projects across the country.
“Their oversight function should include checking the projects done and the amount of money given to ascertain if the projects are commensurate with the billions of naira released so far. The Senate must also investigate how much money was collected for a particular airport and the level of work done, because so much has been given for the projects and yet one of the remodelled airports is already leaking after rains.”
President, Aviation Round Table (ART) Capt. Dele Ore, dismised the noise about remodelling as a charade.
Ore said:”For two years, I will summarise that we have only had confusion. But in the middle of the confusion, some people are clapping and praising the minister.
“Painting of airport does not bring development to it when you don’t have passengers who are flying or aircraft to fly into them.”
Also, a Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), a coalition of anti- corruption organisations, has filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, asking her to supply information about the cost of the reconstruction of 22 airports in the country.
The group said: “We are convinced that enormous amount of money must have been spent on the completed remodeling and ongoing reconstruction.”
Head of Strategy at Zenith Travels, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, said there is more to fixing the industry than the official window-dressing in the garb of mere remodelling.
He said: “I quite agree that there is rot in the terminals being transformed, there are others waiting. But, what is really the cost of fixing these airports and who are the contractors?”
Another aviation stakeholder, Mr. Nick Fadugba, declared that the minister has performed well in infrastructure, refurbishment and modernisation of some airport terminals.
He said: “You know, this is difficult, there are so many challenges that need to be addressed and I think what she has done is to prioritise them and address those that needed urgent attention. For instance, even if we have good airlines in Nigeria and there is no good airport infrastructure, the airlines will have nowhere to fly into and so, we won’t be able to utilise the aircraft efficiently.”
A former president of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Solomon Ohioma, has, however, raised concerns over the cost of airport remodelling.
He said: “The amount of money which has been expended in these projects is what is of major concern to industry players.
“After the ministry has completed the remodelling of these airports with the huge costs spent on it, it is strange that the same Ministry of Aviation is sending a proposal to the Federal Government that these airports, which have been remodelled, are to be reconstructed.
“The question is: Why is the government in a hurry after the remodelling to consider rebuilding additional airport terminals?”
Former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Chief Executive Officer Centurion Securities, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd), admitted there were improvements in the revamping of airport infrastructure, but said he was concerned more about the human capital development in the sector.
He argued that no matter how modern the technology or the quality of new infrastructure, the facilities cannot work on their own, but would remain pieces of equipment “except they are operated by skilled and professionally inclined human beings.”
The project started last year in some airports nationwide.
Airports in Lagos, Abuja, Yola, Enugu, Benin, Owerri, Kano , Kaduna , Jos , Sokoto, Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Makurdi, Akure, Ibadan and Maiduguri have been remodelled while brand new terminals have been completed and inaugurated in Lagos, Abuja, Yola, Enugu, Owerri, Kano, terminals in Sokoto, Jos, Ibadan, Ilorin, Kaduna, Akure have reached advanced stages.
Oduah said the first and second phases of the remodelling would be completed and inaugurated before the second quarter of the year.
She said so far, the remodelling had brought about the delivery of new terminals at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The new terminal cost the government about N648 million. She explained that the moderate cost for remodelling the new domestic terminal of the Lagos Airport was achieved due to prudent management of funds.
Apart from the new terminal at the Lagos Airport, a new wing has been completed at the same airport, which will be opened soon for domestic airlines that will operate from the terminal.
Under the remodelling train, additional departure and arrival fingers have been completed and opened at the international wing of the Lagos Airport.
However, the minister did not give details on the cost of completing that segment of the remodelling.
At the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, a new general aviation terminal has been constructed and opened for private and charter operators.
Oduah said all ongoing airports remodelling would be completed this year.
She said: “What we are doing goes beyond remodelling of the airports. We are actually doing restructuring and reconstructing of the airports. We are just starting to go round the airport. We are doubling the sizes of those terminals and changing all the facilities and utilities within the airport.
“So, you can’t call that remodelling. It is restructuring and reconstructing. That is what we are doing to ensure that passengers have safe model of transportation and we want to ensure that passengers have value for their money. Most importantly, we want every Nigerian and stakeholders to be proud of our airport environments. It’s a total transformation of the aviation sector.”
Last year, the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Anti-Corruption, National Ethics and Values, Hon. Abiodun Adeleke, alleged a breach in contract award processes by the minister in the airport remodelling project.
Reacting to the House Committee’s remarks, a former director with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Usman Balarabe, said it was shocking for any Nigerian who has utilised the airport in the past 30 years and had noticed the rot in infrastructure to voice any protest, given the magnitude of the rehabilitation that has so far been undertaken in just over two years.
The Association of Young Aviators also expressed support for the project. “All that Nigerians want is functional airport with modern facilities and not to biker over due process as it has not yet proven that funds budgeted for the remodelling projects were diverted,” the group said in a statement.
Oduah assured that the airport terminal in Lagos would be opened before the end of the first quarter of the year.
She said: “We want to be able to start the usage of all these facilities by the first quarter of next year. What is very key is that passengers’ travelling experiences will be very, very different. It will be the way it should be; it means you have the comfort, you have the safety and you have the security and most importantly as you’ve seen, we’ve increased the capacity which means you have ample space to really do what you are supposed to do, as a passenger.”
She reiterated that the remodelling would include all the Federal Government’s airports in the country, adding that infrastructural decay would be a thing of the past when the programme is completed. She said the government is embarking on expansion of airport facilities to promote safety and security as well as improve the travel experience of passengers. She listed the airports where the projects have been completed and are awaiting unveiling to include Sokoto, Yola, Owerri, and others.
She also explained that the expanded facility at the upper part of the airport terminal include airport lounges, transit hotels because of the government’s plan to reposition the Lagos Airport as a regional hub.
According to the minister, “So far, seven terminals have been completely remodelled and work is in top gear in the remaining 15 terminals.”
Last month, she toured the Lagos Airport for an on-the-spot assessment.
Some of the facilities she inspected included the extended Departure and Arrival Halls, new in-bound baggage reclaim carousels, on-going construction work on Fingers as well as transit facilities.
The extended Departure Halls featured five new state-of-the-art screening machines and two new Body Scanners at each of the wings in addition to 30 new immigration counters. A distinguishing feature of the new screening machines is the ability to detect explosive materials and potential threat items in real time with the lowest rate of false alarm.
The introduction of 30 new immigration counters as against the previous nine also promises to take the face of facilitation in MMA to another level. Also inspected were the newly installed in-bound baggage to reclaim carousels at each of the Arrival Halls.The high-speed carousels are smoother, easier to maintain and more resistant to luggage jams than their decades-old predecessors.
This should translate into accelerated baggage retrieval, reduced waiting-time and improved travel experience.
The highlight of the minister’s visit was the inspection of the on-going construction of two new additional Fingers, as well as the new Transit Facilities. On top of the existing fingers were added another floor where departing passengers would pass through to the bridges in order not to mix with arriving passengers, a cardinal factor in the safety regulation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The Managing Director of FAAN, Mr George Uriesi, has described the development of airport infrastructure as not just an economic necessity but essential to the economy.
He said: “Achieving these goals will not only help our domestic airlines, but also foreign carriers to develop the confidence required to enhance our image and economic interests.
“FAAN is about half way through a programme to remodel the country’s 22 federal airports, by 2015, by which time total domestic and international passenger numbers are expected to have grown to 16 million per year compared to 14.3 million in 2012.
“Remodelling projects at Nigeria’s main airports has been largely completed at the first 11 airports, including Benin City Airport, Kano International Airport, Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Owerri Airport and Yola Airport.
Former Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba, has urged the Federal Government not to succumb to political pressure that would end the ongoing remodelling of airport facilities and the building of new terminals in four major airports in the country.
He said it took a long time before the government started the rehabilitation of these airports, which had been neglected for over 30 years, expressing the fear that if the programme is stopped due to political pressures, the projects might be abandoned for a long time.
The ex-minister, who noted that the Lagos airport is too old, said for its facilities to be effectively maintained, they have to be concessioned, so that the FAAN would regulate them and the government would now divert the funds budgeted for aviation to other critical sectors.
Chief Executive Officer, Westlink Airlines, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia, described the airports upgrade as part of the strategy by the government to reposition the sector as a huge revenue spinner.
He said this could not have come at a better time, after many years of abandonment.
He said the pace at which the airports were being fixed was enough testimony of the commitment of the government to position the sector for national development, using air transportation as a catalyst.
