Sirika: Air Transportation Contributes $8.2bn to Nigeria’s GDP Annually

Says airports handled 15.2m passengers, ferried 195,230MT of cargo

The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, yesterday disclosed that transportation which is the cardinal objective of the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) of the current administration cannot be overemphasised.

He noted that airport transport alone contributes about US$8.2 billion to the country’s gross domestic product annually.

He disclosed that the airports in 2016 handled 15.2 million passengers, conveyed over 195,230 metric tons of cargo and 7,373.0 metric tonnes of mails.

Sirika, while speaking at the 2017 15th edition of the National Council on Transportation (NCT) taking place in Sokoto State, said there was need for every sector to operate efficiently for the recovery of the nation’s economy.

“This has become urgent for us given the fallen price of oil which had been our main stay and the resultant decline in government revenue,” he said.

According to the minister, “Transportation is the wheels that roll the economic development of countries. The sector contributes to the economic sectors which include oil and gas, tourism, travel, agriculture, trade and commerce, manufacturing and other non-oil sectors.

“Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa with a population of over 180 million people. Presently, the country has 27 functional airports and several privately owned airstrips and helipads. The airports in 2016 handled 15.2 million passengers, transported over 195, 230 metric tonnes of cargo and 7,373.0 metric tonnes of mails.

“Also, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), air transport in Nigeria supports more than 650,800 jobs including tourism-related employment, while contributing US$8.2 billion to the country’s GDP annually.”

He noted that the statistics underscored the importance of aviation in the economy of Nigeria but, “in relation to our population size and geographical location, the country has the potential to do more.”

Sirika hinted that currently, there is no effective inter-modality of air transportation with other modes in terms of infrastructural linkages except road network. “However, construction works are at advanced stage to connect the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to rail while the master plans of the other international airports have provision for linkages.

The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation and Aviation, Sabiu Zakari, further said in preparation for an efficient inter-modal transport system, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a robust road-map for the aviation sub-sector, and that the road-map intends to address some of the infrastructural gaps and challenges with a view to providing long-term solutions.