ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has highlighted a critical issue in Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, stating that many airports, particularly international ones, were constructed without proper master plans.
In an interview on Channels TV, Keyamo expressed concern about the absence of coordinated planning for the nation’s airports.
Upon assuming office, Keyamo questioned bureaucrats about the master plans for airports, emphasizing the importance of having approved plans for infrastructure projects.
He revealed the lack of existing master plans for any of the airports in Nigeria, leading to disjointed developments across the country’s aviation hubs.
Keyamo emphasized the need for comprehensive planning, stating, “Whether house, road, or anything, you must have a plan, an approved plan.”
He shared his conversation with President Bola Tinubu, stressing the urgency of establishing master plans for the five international airports in Nigeria.
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Highlighting the prevailing disorganization, Keyamo cited instances where decisions on infrastructure projects were made arbitrarily without adherence to a cohesive plan.
He remarked, “Like now, somebody comes and says, ‘I want to build a hangar or a five-star hotel.’ You know what they do before I come to office? They’ll look at bush and say, ‘Go and do it there.'”
The revelation underscores the need for strategic planning and coordinated development in Nigeria’s aviation sector, particularly for international airports crucial to the nation’s connectivity and global reputation.
“The moment I came into office, the first thing I asked all of them, the bureaucrats, is where are the master plans for our airports, especially the five international airports?” said Mr Keyamo during an interview aired on Wednesday on Channels TV.
He added, “Is there any way you can build infrastructure in the world without a plan? Whether house, road or anything, you must have a plan, an approved plan.
“I did not meet any masterplan on the ground in the entire Nigeria. So I said what have you guys been doing about it?”
He continued, “I have told the president that we need to start with masterplans for the five international airports.
“It has all been all kinds of disjointed development we have been doing,” Mr Keyamo stated.