Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has advanced construction of a second international airport in Ndikelionwu, Orumba North LGA, touted as part of an aerotropolis and industrial city master plan. Proponents claim the facility will generate millions of jobs, boost revenue, attract investment, enhance tourism, and elevate property values. However, operational data from the existing Chinua Achebe International Airport in Umueri, commissioned in December 2021, paints a starkly different picture.
Existing Airport Underperformance Raises Questions
Over roughly five years, Umueri handled about 600,000 passengers and 8,600 aircraft movements—averaging fewer than five flights and about 330 passengers daily. In Nigeria's domestic market of approximately 13 million annual passengers, Anambra's contribution remains marginal. Neighbouring Asaba has captured more regional traffic, while Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt dominate. Many state-initiated airports across Nigeria require ongoing subsidies for maintenance, staffing, and security due to thin passenger and cargo flows.
Job Creation Claims Warrant Caution
Construction phases generate temporary employment, but permanent operational roles in aviation are limited and require specialised skills. Multiplier effects are typically far smaller than headline figures suggest. Historical precedents show optimistic job forecasts often give way to fiscal drag as recurrent costs mount.
National Economic Context in 2026
Nigeria's GDP growth of around 4% has not translated into broad-based improvements in household purchasing power. Inflation, after peaking above 30% in 2024, settled around 23% in 2025, with renewed upward pressure to 15.9% by May 2026. Double-digit inflation squeezes real incomes and intensifies competition for budgetary resources. Public debt servicing absorbs significant revenues, and states depend on volatile federation allocations.
Housing Crisis in Anambra's Urban Centres
Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi face sustained pressure on residential accommodation from urbanisation and commercial vibrancy. Rents have risen persistently, consuming larger shares of household budgets for salaried employees and self-employed traders, artisans, and small-scale manufacturers. High housing costs directly erode working capital, limit inventory investment, and constrain business expansion.
A Comprehensive Housing Initiative as an Alternative
A public-private partnership housing programme could address this constraint directly. The state could contribute land banks, expedited approvals, infrastructure trunking, and fiscal incentives, while private developers design, build, finance, and manage mixed-income estates. Construction is labour-intensive and draws on local supply chains, creating immediate, geographically dispersed employment. Artisans and small contractors would find sustained work, and suppliers of building materials would experience increased turnover.
Such a scheme would expand the property tax base, formalise parts of the rental market, reduce urban sprawl, and improve public health outcomes. The multiplier from housing activity typically exceeds that of aviation projects because housing demand is constant and less cyclical.
Risk Profile Comparison
A second airport entails concentrated, high-value capital outlay on a single site with a revenue model dependent on unproven air travel demand. Recent protests from farming communities in Iwolo and Omogho over land acquisition highlight governance complexities. A housing partnership distributes activity across multiple sites and private actors, incorporates market discipline, and engages communities as stakeholders.
Conclusion: Prioritise Prudent Stewardship
Anambra's dynamic commercial centres, improving road connectivity, and enterprising population can be leveraged more effectively through optimisation of existing infrastructure and bold action on housing affordability. Redirecting capital toward a historic, partnership-driven housing programme would address daily pressures on residents, stimulate widespread economic activity, and lay foundations for resilient, inclusive urban growth. Such a course demonstrates prudent stewardship and aligns expenditure with evident need, unlike a second airport whose traffic fundamentals echo the modest utilisation at Umueri.
Chukwuemerie Uduchukwu, an indigene of Nnewi, Anambra State, writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
