Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has revealed a plan by the state to establish a commercial airline.
The announcement was on Thursday made during the comprehensive presentation of the administration’s achievements in the West of Lagos at the Lagos West Senatorial District People’s Town Hall Meeting.
The state government is also preparing to kickstart the construction of a new airport in Lekki.
Sanwo-Olu acknowledged that the idea to have a state-owned airport has been in deliberation for several months, with the state in the final stages of determining the financing model for the project.
He said the next crucial steps involve securing Federal Government approval and establishing operational contingencies for the proposed commercial airline.
The governor remarked, “Over the last five months, the Deputy Governor and I have been working to put a concise plan together for the establishment of an airline, but we did not make the plan open because of the need to get adequate knowledge about the operational procedures of airlines.
“The business plan is viable and there is no issue about financing. The conversation has gone to an advanced stage but we need to get the proper information on operations before we go ahead to implement the plan.
Further, the governor listed some other achievements, including the completion and opening of 42 new road projects and two flyovers, collectively spanning over an impressive 72 kilometers.
He revealed, “In Lagos West Senatorial District, infrastructure development has been our priority since we came in. Over the last four years, we have completed over 70 kilometres of new roads and over two kilometres of bridges.
“These include Pen-Cinema Bridge, Ikeja Flyover, and over 42 roads we have completed in Alimosho, Ifako, Agege, Ikeja, Mushin, Amuwo Odofin, and Badagry. We also have over 30 ongoing road projects which are at various stages of completion within this district.”
Sanwo-Olu assured Lagosians that his administration would be raising the pace of its development strides, as he pledged to double the efforts to deliver twice the number of projects and programs achieved in his first term.
The governor said the senatorial district was also the major beneficiary of the intracity railway development projects of his administration, with Lagos West hosting major passenger hubs of Blue Line and Red Line trains.
In a bid to bolster security and safety across Lagos, the governor announced plans to release additional patrol vehicles and work gadgets.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also provided updates on the construction of a new General Hospital in the Ojo axis, noting its advanced stage of development.
The Lagos Governor urged the citizens to be law-abiding and support measures introduced by the Government to maintain law and order. The Governor said it would not be enough to enforce obedience to laws, adding that the Government would ensure laws are fair and just to all.
He stated, “We are in talks with you, the citizens, today because we believe the Government does not know it all. The feedback and inputs we are taking away from here will help us to cater to your needs and well-being better. On our part, we will strive to make it easier for you to be law-abiding. It is not enough to say the laws must be obeyed, we must also ensure that the laws are clear, fair, and just.
“When people break the law and don’t do the right thing, they make governance a lot more difficult for us. We must discharge our civic responsibility and fulfill our obligations as citizens.
“When we do this, it reduces the cost of governance and saves resources that will enable us to do a lot more. While we appreciate your suggestions, we are also encouraging you to ensure that all citizens do the right thing at all times.”
Stakeholders have expressed excitement over the development. The Chairman, Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, Kingsley Nwokoma, said the development is positive for the industry.
“The aviation sector benefits from increased players, addressing recurring issues like low service quality, delayed flights, and cancellations. These challenges of flight delays and cancellations are key concerns for the Minister of Aviation,” Nwokoma told The PUNCH.
He remarked that having more airlines would be advantageous, considering the current sector landscape.
“In the past, we had only a few airlines, but the current expansion is a welcomed and beneficial development for the sector. Nigeria requires more standardized airlines, potentially reaching the IATA clearing house,” Nwokoma said.
The General Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, Olumide Ohunayo, told The PUNCH that the aviation industry needs more airlines to address the current demand-supply imbalance.
Recent incidents, like exorbitant Christmas ticket prices reaching N250,000 due to demand surpassing supply, underscore the necessity for growth, he remarked.
“We all saw what happened, so in my view, it’s a good development because it will also help the Lekki airport to grow and I am sure they will operate from there.”
He advised the Lagos State Government to draw inspiration from Ibom Air’s success in Akwa Ibom, “it’s advisable to avoid creating a civil service airline. Instead, they should adopt a state-dependent, professionally managed structure, similar to Ibom.”
Aviation expert, Olumide Ohunayo also commended the government’s plan, citing the need for more players in the industry. “The industry is not unsaturated. We need more. We saw what happened during the last Christmas when tickets hit the roof of about 250,000 naira. So we had less supply. We would not have gotten to that fair price if the demand had outpaced supply,” he said.
“I would advise that they shouldn’t make it a civil service airline but they should look at the Ibom structure whereby it is managed by professionals. That is the route to take.”
