The Enugu State Government says its plan to grow the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn by 2031 is being driven largely by the development of Enugu Air and the concession of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
According to officials, the projects are expected to strengthen tourism, attract investment, boost agricultural exports, and position Enugu as a key economic hub in the South-East.
The Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, stated this on Tuesday during the Renewed Hope Media Tour of the airport.
He explained that the airport concession is part of a wider economic strategy by the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, aimed at expanding tourism, hospitality, agriculture, and private sector participation.
According to him, “So under this government, Peter Mbah and the leadership of the President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the governor had approached the aviation sector to start the process of concessioning this airport standing behind me, the international airport, in alignment with the broader vision for aviation tourism in Enugu State.
“The context is not just the concessioning. The context is that the governor looked at Enugu as an economic hub where tourism and the hospitality sector could be aligned.”
Onyia said projections suggest that between three and five million visitors are expected to come into the state, adding that the aviation project is designed to support tourism growth and overall GDP expansion toward the $30bn target by 2031.
He said, “So we thought if we were expecting three to five million visitors coming to Enugu, which was our projection, and this projection is not just something that we just came up with a number, we’re also looking at how the aviation sector complements our tourism and hospitality space by saying that this is the quantum of revenue of investment that can catalyse the growth towards our GDP because at inception what we had planned was to move the Enugu State GDP from $4.4bn, that His Excellency met it, to $30bn by 2031.”
He further explained that Enugu Air was introduced to ensure the state is not overly dependent on external airlines and to improve access for tourists and investors.
He said, “If we’re expecting them, then we can’t depend on third-party airlines to bring people to Enugu solely based on their schedule. That was how the Enugu Air concept came in, and you’ve seen some of our aeroplanes. We have six now, and this is just phase one, bringing in people into Enugu so that when visitors and tourists come to Enugu, they have access to airlines that can bring them in.”
He added that the government is also developing tourism sites and integrating the airport into plans for agricultural exports through a cargo terminal.
Onyia noted that the state is adopting a private sector-driven approach to improve efficiency and sustainability in aviation operations.
He also disclosed that October has been set as the next milestone for the airport concession process, with further activities expected to follow.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting the project and enabling federal approvals, describing the collaboration between the state and federal government as key to its progress.