As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barrister Festus Keyamo push for the realisation of the ambitious plans to address decades-old airport infrastructure challenges, an industry stakeholder has assured that aviation industry in Nigeria is poised for a major turnaround.
The industry stakeholder and Chairman/CEO, Air Peace Limited, Barrister Allen Onyema said, when completed, the initiatives will not only improve passenger experience but also unlock new revenue streams for airlines.
Speaking at the 29th League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Annual Conference in Lagos, Onyema, described inadequate airport infrastructure as one of the most pressing barriers to the growth and profitability of Nigerian airlines.
He noted that the absence of proper transit facilities at key airports has long hindered the country’s ability to function as a true regional hub, costing airlines, passengers and revenue.
Airlines operating in West and Central Africa, he explained, lose a competitive edge when connecting passengers must clear immigration, undergo customs checks, and recheck their baggage simply to transit through Nigeria, a process that often drives them to other African airports. The lack of seamless connectivity has particularly affected the ability of domestic carriers to integrate regional routes into global connections.
Onyema who welcomed the government’s recent interventions, including the plan to restructure the Lagos airport facilities to accommodate modern transit operations, expressed confidence in the administration’s commitment. Noting that with sustained focus, the country could, within two years, possess the infrastructure needed to compete with Africa’s leading aviation hubs.
He emphasised that such infrastructure upgrades act as a form of indirect financing for airlines by reducing operational inefficiencies, cutting avoidable costs, and creating conditions for sustainable expansion. With the right facilities in place, Nigerian carriers, he maintained, could match the success of leading African airlines within the next decade.
