DECEMBER 10, 2024

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced its financial outlook for the global airline industry in 2025, showing a growth in revenue to $1.007 trillion on the back of operational cost reduction.

This is an increase of 4.4% from 2024 and will be the first time that industry revenues top the $1 trillion mark. However, expenses are expected to grow by 4.0 per cent to $940 billion. IATA also projects that globally, there would be a slight strengthening of profitability amid ongoing cost and supply chain challenges.

“We’re expecting airlines to deliver a global profit of $36.6 billion in 2025. This will be hard-earned as airlines take advantage of lower oil prices while keeping load factors above 83 percent, tightly controlling costs, investing in decarbonization, and managing the return to more normal growth levels following the extraordinary pandemic recovery. All these efforts will help to mitigate several drags on profitability which are outside of airlines’ control, namely persistent supply chain challenges, infrastructure deficiencies, onerous regulation, and a rising tax burden,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

“In 2025, industry revenues will exceed $1 trillion for the first time. It’s also important to put that into perspective. A trillion dollars is a lot—almost one per cent of the global economy. That makes airlines a strategically important industry. But remember that airlines carry $940 billion in costs, not to mention interest and taxes.

“They retain a net profit margin of just 3.6 per cent. Put another way, the buffer between profit and loss, even in the good year that we are expecting in 2025, is just $7 per passenger. With margins that thin, airlines must continue to watch every cost and insist on similar efficiency across the supply chain—especially from our monopoly infrastructure suppliers who all too often let us down on performance and efficiency,” said Walsh.

Net profits are expected to be $36.6 billion in 2025 for a 3.6 per cent net profit margin. That is a slight improvement from the expected $31.5 billion net profit in 2024 (3.3 per cent net profit margin). The average net profit per passenger is expected to be $7.0 (below the $7.9 high in 2023 but an improvement from $6.4 in 2024).

Operating profit in 2025 is expected to be $67.5 billion for a net operating margin of 6.7 per cent (improved from 6.4% expected in 2024).

The return on invested capital (ROIC) for the global industry is expected to be 6.8 per cent in 2025. While this is an improvement from the 2024 ROIC of 6.6 per cent, the returns for the industry at the global level remain below the weighted average cost of capital. ROIC is the strongest for airlines in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, where it did exceed the cost of capital.

Passenger numbers are expected to reach 5.2 billion in 2025, a 6.7 per cent rise compared to 2024 and the first time that the number of passengers has exceeded the five billion mark.

Cargo volumes are expected to reach 72.5 million tonnes, a 5.8 per cent increase from 2024. IATA highlighted the broad benefits of growing connectivity. The most recent estimates show that airline employment is expected to grow to 3.3 million in 2025. Airlines are the core of a global aviation value chain that employs 86.5 million people and generates $4.1 trillion in economic impact, accounting for 3.9 per cent of global GDP (2023 figures).  Connectivity is an economic catalyst for growth in nearly all industries.

“Looking at 2025, for the first time, traveller numbers will exceed five billion and the number of flights will reach 40 million. This growth means that aviation connectivity will be creating and supporting jobs across the global economy.

“The most obvious are the hospitality and retail sectors which will gear up to meet the needs of a growing number of customers. But almost every business benefits from the connectivity that air transport provides, making it easier to meet customers, receive supplies, or transport products. On top of this, growth in aviation also contributes to achieving almost all the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Walsh.

Passenger Revenues are expected to reach $705 billion (70 per cent of total revenue) with an additional $145 billion (14.4 per cent of total revenues) from ancillary services in 2025. Travel continues to become more affordable as the passenger yield is expected to fall by 3.4 per cent (ticket and ancillaries). Unit revenues are expected to fall by a more moderate 2.5 per cent.

Seen a different way, the average airfare in 2025, including ancillaries, is expected to be $380, which is 1.8 per cent lower than 2024. In real terms (adjusted for inflation) that represents s 44 per cent drop compared to 2014, indicating that significant value is being passed to consumers in the industry’s continued effort to improve efficiency.

Passenger demand (RPKs) is expected to grow by 8.0 per cent in 2025, which is ahead of a 7.1 per cent expected expansion of capacity (ATK). Aircraft departures are forecast to reach 40 million, an increase of 4.6 per cent from 2024, and the average passenger load factor is anticipated at 83.4 per cent, up 0.4 percentage points from 2024. Africa’s carriers face high operational costs and a low propensity for air travel expenditure in many of their home markets.

A significant issue is a shortage of US dollars in some economies which, along with infrastructure and connectivity challenges hinder the airline industry’s expansion and performance. Despite these obstacles, there is sustained demand for air travel, which is expected to improve the region’s profitability marginally in 2025.

DECEMBER 10, 2024

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says an estimated 1,134,828 from 251,082 households were internally displaced in Nigeria in 2023.

The 2023 Internally Displaced Persons Report by the NBS released late Monday says that Borno State recorded the highest number of displaced households with 206,753. In the state, 877,299 were internally displaced, representing 77.3 percent of the entire surveyed population.

It discloses that the survey was conducted in 2023 across seven states of Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Benue and Nasarawa.

“The findings show that Boko Haram insurgency reported 81.2 percent, farmers/herders clash (16.2 percent), banditry/kidnapping (1.6 percent) as the major sources of displacements.

“This indicates that the displacement of persons is more human-induced than flooding or any other form of natural disaster.”

The report explains that internal displacement of persons is the forced movement of people within their own country due to conflict, violence, natural disasters, or other crises, without crossing international borders.

According to the report, this constitutes one of the most pressing humanitarian crises in Nigeria as the displacement is induced by a combination of factors such as Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East region, banditry/kidnapping in the North-West region, armed conflict, and communal clashes in other parts of the country.

“Further analysis reveals that out of the total population of surveyed IDPs, 50.3 percent were mainly minors and below the age of 18 years. Only 49.7 percent were within the age of 18 years and above. However, it was observed that 83.4 percent of persons have been displaced over four (4) years.”

DECEMBER 10, 2024

By Solomon Odeniyi

Nigeria has ranked fourth among countries whose citizens were granted U.S. citizenship through military naturalization between 2020 and 2024.

During the period under review, the United States naturalised over 52,000 military service members across different countries.

According to data obtained from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Monday, 3,270 Nigerian-born service members were granted U.S. citizenship, trailing only the Philippines (5,630), Jamaica (5,420), and Mexico with 3,670.

“Service members born in the Philippines, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Ghana — the top five countries of birth among those naturalised — comprised over 38% of the naturalizations since FY 2020.

“The next five countries of birth — Haiti, China, Cameroon, Vietnam, and South Korea — comprised an additional 16% of military naturalisations from FY 2020 to FY 2024,” the analysis of the data partly read.

The data revealed that the number of Nigerian service members gaining U.S. citizenship has steadily increased over the past five years.

From 340 in 2020, the figure rose to 630 the following year, 680 in 2022, 690 in 2023 and 930 in 2024.

The Army accounted for 60% of all military naturalisations during this period, followed by the Navy (20.4%), Air Force (10.6%), and Marine Corps (6.6%). Less than 1% of naturalised service members served in the Coast Guard.

“Service members from the Army (including National Guard and Reserves) comprised almost two-thirds (60%) of all military naturalisations from FY 2020 to FY 2024. Service members from the Coast Guard comprised less than 1%. The Navy accounted for 20.4%, the Air Force for 10.6%, and the Marine Corps for 6.6%,” the report stated.

Age-wise, half of the service members were between 22 and 30 years old when they naturalised.

“Half of all service members were between 22 and 30 years old when they naturalised. The median age of all service members who naturalised between FY 2020 and FY 2024 was 27. More than 17% were 21 and under, while almost 5% were older than 40,” the analysis revealed.

Regarding gender distribution, 73% of the naturalised service members were men.

“Men comprised 73% of all service members naturalized between FY 2020 and FY 2024. The proportion of female service members slightly increased across the years,” the report added.

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Nigeria has exited the list of countries blocking the repatriation of airline funds, a new report by the International Air Transport Association stated on Monday.

This was as the Geneva, Switzerland-based IATA noted that airlines’ trapped funds globally currently amount to $1.7bn. A small improvement compared to the $1.8bn reported at the end of April.

This latest significant development means Nigerian authorities have resolved the issue of frozen airline revenues, allowing international carriers to access and transfer their funds back to their home countries.

In June, IATA confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria cleared foreign airlines trapped funds worth $831m.

The association representing international airlines said the remaining $19m was awaiting the CBN verification through commercial banks.

According to IATA, from the peak of about $850m foreign airlines’ funds in Nigeria last June, only $19m is left outstanding.

But providing new updates following an assessment conducted at the end of October 2024, the international body in a statement on Monday, said nine countries account for 83 per cent of the airline industry’s blocked funds, amounting to $1.43bn.

They include Pakistan, XAF Zone, Bangladesh, Algeria,  Lebanon Mozambique, Angola, Eritrea, and XOF Zone.

 “Over the last six months, we have seen significant reductions in blocked funds in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria, and Ethiopia. At the same time, amounts are rising in the XAF /XOF  zones and Mozambique.

“Bolivia has also emerged as a problem, where repatriating sales revenues is becoming increasingly difficult and unsustainable for airlines. This unfortunate game of ‘whack-a-mole’ is unacceptable.  Governments must remove all barriers for airlines to repatriate their revenues from ticket sales and other activities by international agreements and treaty obligations,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

The report disclosed that Pakistan continues to top the list of blocked funds countries at $311m. This is an improvement from $411m in April 2024. It said the main issue is the system of audit and tax exemption certificates which is causing long processing delays.

Bangladesh has seen the amount of blocked funds decrease to $196m (from $320m in April). The Central Bank needs to continue to prioritise airlines’ access to foreign exchange in line with international treated obligations.

About $1bn of airline money blocked from repatriation is in African countries. That is about 59 per cent of the global tally. Over the last six months, there were significant reductions in blocked funds in Algeria ($193m from $286m in April) and Ethiopia ($43m from $149m in April). At the same time, XAF Zone (+$84m), Mozambique (+$84m) and XOF Zone (+$73m) contributed to the largest increases.

While Bolivia is new to the list of blocked fund countries. A further deterioration in the availability of foreign exchange, particularly the US dollar, has resulted in an estimated $42m in airline funds being blocked in the country.

DECEMBER 11, 2024

• Push for confirmation of NCAA DG

The President of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN),

Dr. Kingsley Nwokoma, has called for greater investments in infrastructure and human capital development in the aviation sector emphasizing the importance of supporting local airlines pursuing Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) projects to reduce capital flight.

He said the government needed the input of players in the sector to drive its growth.

The AFARN boss also stressed the need to confirm Capt Chris Najomo who has been leading the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCC) in acting capacity as the substantive NCAA Director-General of the agency.

“A body like the NCAA, the regulator of the aviation industry, should not be politicized given our ratings and commitments as a contracting state in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) conventions,” he said, stressing the need for swift action to prevent disruptions in the industry’s progress.

He urged the government to recognize stakeholders who have contributed to the industry’s development through advocacy for policies that foster collaboration and innovation.

Speaking at a briefing at the Lagos Airport on the state of the air transport sector in the year winding up, Nwokoma highlighted key strides of the air transport in the country this year saying the experienced significant achievements compared to 2023.

Dr. Nwokoma commended stakeholders for their resilience while emphasizing the need for continued improvements to ensure sustainable growth in the sector.

Reflecting on the past year, he noted that the aviation industry has shown remarkable progress, particularly in light of Nigeria’s vast resources.

He said: “In my humble assessment, I think the industry has fared well, even though I know we can do better given our endowed human, material, and natural resources as a nation,” he said.

Among the year’s milestones was the improvement in Nigeria’s aviation ratings, which rose from 49 per cent to 70 per cent following the adoption of Cape Town Convention (CTC) practice directions.

This move, aimed at reducing operational costs for airlines, he described as a step in the right direction for the industry.

 Nwokoma also commended the Federal Government’s role in facilitating the resumption of Emirates Airlines’ operations in Nigeria and Air Peace’s new routes to London.

For the AFARN president, the relocation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters back to Lagos was celebrated as a decision that eases operational burden for workers and stakeholders.

The industry, he said, also achieved a strong pass mark in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) security audit and maintained industrial peace, which he  attributed to the leadership of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barr. Festus Keyamo.

However, the year according to him is not without its setbacks. The closure of Dana Air operations and delays in appointing a substantive Director-General for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were highlighted as areas of concern.

The persistent high cost of aviation fuel, coupled with a soaring exchange rate, has impacted passenger and cargo traffic, he said, created challenges for airline operators and cargo consolidators.

The AFARN president announced that the postponed AFARN annual summit would now be held in the first quarter of 2025 and will feature the induction of individuals who have significantly advanced the aviation industry into the AFARN Hall of Fame.

While details of the summit he promised will be communicated to the media and the public in due course.

Nwokoma expressed optimism for the future of Nigeria’s aviation industry while urging all stakeholders to remain steadfast in their expectations.

DECEMBER 11, 2024

By Adekunle Sulaimon

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has reviewed its immigration visa processes for immigrants starting from January 1, 2025.

According to the embassy, applicants with interviews will now visit the Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the process.

The directive was announced on its official X page on Tuesday.

It read, “For applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, you are required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the immigrant visa process.

“This new process is designed to help you prepare for your visa interview and to prevent significant delays in processing your immigrant visa.”

Further checks on the embassy’s website revealed that the first visit to the US Consulate in Lagos would be for an ‘In-Person Document Review’ with a consular staff member, adding, “This review ensures that applicants are prepared for their visa interviews.

It continued, “The review allows applicants to retrieve any missing documents ahead of their visa interviews, helping to avoid delays in application processing.

“The second interview, on the other hand, is with a Consular Officer. The date for this interview will be scheduled for applicants by the National Visa Center (NVC).

“If you do not complete the In-Person Document Review before your visa interview, you will be required to reschedule your appointment.”

On July 2024, The PUNCH reports that the embassy announced its operation in its Abuja and Lagos consulates will be handled by a new visa services provider, starting August 26, 2024.

The decision was announced on the official website and verified social media pages of the American embassy.

DECEMBER 12, 2024

BY Victoria Moores

Nigerian carrier Ibom Air is planning to add two or three new Central African destinations in 2025, building on its sole existing intra-African route between Lagos (Nigeria) and Accra (Ghana). Local government-owned Ibom Air flies to seven destinations—six domestic and one intra-African—using a fleet of seven CRJ900s and two Airbus A220-300s. “We’re breaking into regional [flights],” Ibom Air Executive Director and COO George Uriesi told Aviation Week. “We started with Lagos-Accra about a year ago and, from next year, we’re going to expand to two or three other regional destinations.” Uriesi said these three central African destinations will be added during 2025, but he declined to name the destinations just yet. 

The routes will be “intertwined,” meaning they will operate as stops, rather than direct services. Ibom Air has nine more A220-300s scheduled to arrive by 2028, and the company is planning to transition to an all-A220 fleet. Uriesi said Ibom Air has an average load factor of nearly 90%, and the CRJ900s are too small to meet the demand. 

 The A220s have sufficient range for Ibom Air to fly to destinations like Cairo (Egypt), Cape Town (South Africa) and Casablanca (Morocco). But, unlike other African carriers, Ibom Air has no ambitions of branching out into long-haul flights. “Let the Ethiopians and the Egyptians do all of that,” Uriesi said. “We will stay in Africa.” Ibom Air’s priority is maximizing load factors and frequencies, rather than chasing market share or new destinations. 

Six of Ibom Air’s destinations are domestic within Nigeria, operating alongside one regional route to Ghana. “Our strategy is not to expand and stretch ourselves thin but to maintain our footprint where we have frequencies. “We have seven destinations right now, and we’ve kept those seven destinations now for the last three years,” he said. “It doesn’t follow that we have more airplanes, so let’s go to other places. 

No, we expand granularly and we provide frequencies.” Ibom Air does not have any codeshares, but it previously had an interline partnership with now-defunct Nigerian carrier Dana Air. Uriesi is keen to set up new interline partnerships, giving partners access to its Nigerian domestic feeder flights.

“We have a number of potential [interline] partners that we’ve spoken to—a number of international carriers—who have either come to us, or we’ve gone to them. We’re busy discussing, and we’re nearly at the point now where we will actually sign up with them,” Uriesi said. “I’m sure, by next year, we’ll start signing off.”

DECEMBER 12, 2024

By Olusegun Koiki 

Capt. Ado Sanusi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aero Contractors in this interview with OLUSEGUN KOIKI, spoke on the challenges of the airline, which hitherto was a leading carrier in Nigeria, plan of the management to grow its fleet and return to the top, among others. Excerpts:

The yuletide is around the corner, what is the plan of Aero Contractors’ management for the season?

We presently have a fleet size of three aircraft, but two are currently flying. Hopefully, the third would rejoin the fleet soon. We do not intend to increase our destinations during the Christmas season; we intend to make sure that we are reliable and we have pocket-friendly prices.

We understand that we are not operating in isolation and we do understand that there are lots of airlines that have brought in capacity, which is good for the market. We intend not to do that; we intend to maintain our fleet size of about three aircraft and we intend not to increase our routes, rather service the routes that we have.

Talking about investment, what is your projection for Aero Contractors’ fleet?

As for the investment, what I project for Aero Contractors is a 10 aircraft fleet operation company. So, for an investor, it depends whether he’s going to lease those aircraft or buy them outrightly and the brands of aircraft he’s going to buy. But, we can only advise and the advice is that this company will go back to its rightful position with our 10 aircraft flying.

Earlier, you said that Aero Contractors earned 14 per cent profit and reduced liabilities by 33 per cent in the financial year period, can you put figures to these percentages?

The fact is that because of tax issues, I may not be able to give you the figures, but what I know is that we made 14 per cent profit, but believe me, we are very excited about this trend of profit. Our figure as at 2022, was negative at 69 per cent.

Also, we have reduced our liabilities by 33 per cent. This is due to accrued payments and other things that we are doing. And we are saying, we will still continue to do that till we get to the level that we want.

We intend to reduce our liabilities to the best that we can, but to reduce it to zero, we need some investors to come onboard.

On the issue of reducing fares to pocket-friendly, we have looked at the market, we have seen the surplus capacity and like I said, we are not operating in isolation. I believe you are aware that about 10 aircraft have entered into the market. We have also studied the economic situation of the country and we are not insensitive to the economic hardship that is going on.

In the spirit of Christmas, which is the period of giving, we have decided to reduce our prices and we are still going to be profitable. We are not reducing our prices to a stage we will not be profitable, but everywhere in the world, you will see Christmas and Sallah sales and the reason is to give back to your loyal customers. I believe we should start doing that. We don’t intend to increase capacity at the moment, but we intend to continue to be modestly reliable to our destinations, which is more important to us.

The management of Aero Contractors planned to expand the capacity of its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capacity, how far have you gone with this?

We have continued to grow the MRO; we now have Moroccan, Mongolian, Congolese, Senegalese and Ghanaian approvals for the MRO. You can see that we are expanding the MRO to accommodate the Boeing 737NG and also the Airbus 319 family. We are also increasing our capacity; we are looking at CRJs, Embraer 145, 175 and the rest. We intend to be a one-stop shop for all the airlines that are operating in the country; that is our plan. We have already started work on the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). We have already started work to overhaul that unit. We want to domesticate the APUs and the landing gears and others. We are in talks with the manufacturers and some other people to assist us to set up the shop. The shop should be set up before the end of the third quarter of 2025.

We already have capability for top case tear for engines. We also intend to form a partnership to start overhauling of all CFR56 enginesin the near future. But as of now, we will do modular changes and do top case repair, which I don’t think anybody is doing now. We will continue to upgrade our maintenance facilities because we believe sustainability of the aviation industry requires a formidable maintenance centre in a country.

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With the recent rate of naira against the dollar, can you say you have more local airlines patronising your MRO facility?

The closing of different tiers of exchange rates by the current administration has helped a lot to make sure that airlines don’t enjoy different rates to others. Everybody goes to one source to another for the US dollars. Yes, we have seen an influx of customers into our MRO. Most of the airlines come for one maintenance or the other. Either it’s wheel and brake, pad, weaving, skin repairs, Full Operational Capability (FOC) check and others. The maintenance that the airlines could have taken out of the country, they now come to us. The unifying of the dollar exchange rate has helped to build our MRO users.

What is your view about aircraft wet leasing by domestic airlines?

Wet leasing is usually profitable for a short time, but you have to understand that you are selling your tickets in naira and you are paying per hour in dollars. So, if the dollar is fairly stable and you are meeting your projection, then, it might be profitable, but if the dollar decides to start going on a roller coaster ride, then, your pricing of your ticket will equally go on a roller coaster, too.

What Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has achieved with the Cape town Convention is quite commendable, but it is just a part of the ingredients that is needed for aviation to grow.

Why do I say that? We have the Cape Town Convention; that means that airlines can borrow money and buy airplanes or airlines can borrow money and lease airplanes or airlines can borrow money and lease finance aircraft, but there is a key factor to it, which is the interest rates.

The cost of funding in this country is very high, recently, they just increased the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 27 per cent. That is stifling growth in aviation and with all the gains of the Cape Town Convention, I can’t see an airline going to borrow money at 33 to 35 per cent interest rates and then make profit.

So, it must be addressed. I am not an economist, but I don’t think in this economy, you can increase the interest rates to tame inflation. Rather, you will be killing businesses. Ninety per cent of our vendors that provide us spare parts, fueling and others, they borrow money and they borrow at exorbitant rates. So, it is actually affecting the growth of the aviation industry.

As a country, we don’t need to copy all what other countries are doing by increasing interest rates to reduce inflation, but we have to look at the peculiarity of our economy; the small-scale industry, the vendors that are supplying the airlines, what kind of funding do we have? Thirty-three to 35 per cent is not sustainable. There is no airline that can go and borrow money to refinance or to finance an airplane at 35 per cent interest rates and the dollar is N1,750 and then expect to make profit. That is a tall order for us.

Can you say the recent upgrade in infrastructure by the government has helped the airlines to carry out their operations safely, securely and comfortably in the country?

A lot has been done in recent times to assist the airlines and I think a lot more still needs to be done. You don’t just have a beautiful terminal building…The insurance is important, the Cape town Convention Practices is important, but the cost of running an airline in this country is high. We should address the multiple taxations. As a country, I think we should make a deliberate effort to see that airlines survive. We should understand why the airlines are struggling. This is very simple – multiple taxations. The airlines are trying to pay for the service the parastatals are rendering and I don’t think the airlines can fund the parastatals. It’s not possible.

So, there must be another source of funding for the parastatals because the airlines are struggling and the parastatals are struggling too to provide these services. Again, the 50 per cent outsourcing deductions in the aviation industry, I think it’s affecting us much and I believe that it should be looked at.

The Federal Government should look at aviation not as a source of revenue, but as an enabler to business and economic growth. If the Federal Government is looking at the aviation industry as a revenue provider, then, it will kill the aviation industry.

I can give you an example of Rwanda, the government understands that aviation is not bringing revenue to the country, but understands that aviation would enable it to bring tourists, Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and others and that is why the government has invested a lot in Rwandair. That is why it is a success story.

Quote: “As a country, we don’t need to copy all what other countries are doing by increasing interest rates to reduce inflation, but we have to look at the peculiarity of our economy…”

DECEMBER 17, 2024

BY  Paul Melly

West African leaders are holding a crucial summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja, focusing on the morale-sapping departure of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from their 15-member bloc Ecowas.

Few think the military rulers of the three dissident states can be persuaded to pause or reverse their decision.

While faced with this blow to regional unity, West Africa is also poised to start work on a 1,028km (689 miles) highway from Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan - through Ghana, Togo and Benin - to Nigeria's biggest city Lagos.

Construction is supposed to start in 2026 and pledges of $15.6bn (£12.3bn) have already been mobilised from a range of funders and investors.

Just as Western Europe matched the Soviet-led communist bloc with a "Common Market" that later evolved into today's trading powerhouse, the European Union (EU), so Ecowas may find that a drive for prosperity and growth proves to be its most effective response to the wave of military coups and nationalism that have swept across the region since 2020.

The plan to build a modern transport corridor along the West African coast was originally approved eight years ago - long before the coups that have overturned civilian rule in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Preparatory studies, led by the African Development Bank, were commissioned.

But when these were presented last month, the timing could hardly have come at a better moment for reinvigorating the battered self-confidence of Ecowas (Economic Community of West African States).

Neither traditional diplomacy, nor sanctions, nor even the threat of military intervention in Niger, had managed to push the juntas into organising elections and restoring civilian government, as required by Ecowas governance rules.

The defiant regimes declared they would leave the 15-member bloc altogether.

They have subsequently spurned the remaining members' efforts to persuade them to stay, although the Ecowas envoy, Senegal's new, young President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who shares their nationalistic outlook, is still trying.

Until this crisis, Ecowas was Africa's most cohesive and politically integrated regional grouping, with a creditable record of crisis management and even the deployment of peacekeepers in troubled member states.

With the departure of Mali, Burkina and Niger, the bloc will lose 76 million of its 446 million people and more than half its total geographical land area, with the loss of vast tracts of the Sahara – a painful blow to prestige and self-belief.

The shock of the three countries' withdrawal may boost those pushing for tougher governance and democracy rules.

Meanwhile, the ambitious coastal transport corridor project, conceived to support economic development, will also serve a political purpose - demonstrating the remaining member countries' capacity to work together and accelerating the trade growth and investment attraction of coastal urban West Africa, already the most prosperous part of this vast region.

And just as the EU's wealth and dynamism proved a powerful attraction for former communist states, perhaps rising prosperity across Ecowas will eventually entice the now disenchanted further north states into rejoining the bloc.

Construction of the proposed four-to-six lane motorway is forecast to create 70,000 jobs, with completion ambitiously targeted for 2030.

And the plan is to acquire a sufficiently broad strip of land along the route to later accommodate a new railway line, linking the big port cities along the Gulf of Guinea. Existing rail routes extend inland, but there is no rail line along the coast.

The road will connect many of West Africa's largest cities - Abidjan, with 8.3 million people, Accra (4 million), Lomé (2 million), Cotonou (2.6 million) and Lagos, estimated at close to 20 million or perhaps even more.

Several of the cities are key gateway ports for the flow of trade in and out of the region.

Already the bureaucratic hassles and risks of petty corruption that have so often complicated life for drivers passing from one country to the next are beginning to wane.

At many border crossings, modern one-stop frontier posts, where officials from both countries work side by side to check passports and transit documents, have replaced the assorted huts where drivers and passengers queued at a succession of counters while one set of border police and customs officers after another laboriously worked their way through the formalities.

And now the proposed highway and rail line promise to further speed the flow of trade and travel between the coastal economies, boosting competitiveness and integration and transforming the region's attraction for investors - just as the EU transformed trade and development across the European continent.

And that process of economic and administrative integration of course had enormous political consequences.

It acted as a powerful incentive for countries still outside the bloc to improve economic governance, strengthen democracy and tackle corruption, in the hope of qualifying for membership.

Perhaps Ecowas can emulate this precedent, and lure the dissident states into re-joining, particularly if flagship projects such as the transport corridor give a real fillip to growth.

For not only do Mali, Niger and Burkina face severe development and security challenges, but they are also all landlocked, and heavily dependent on their coastal neighbours, through transport, trade and labour migration.

Huge volumes of trade, formal and informal, flow across the borders.

Livestock from the three countries in the Sahel is exported on the hoof to feed city dwellers in Dakar, Abidjan and Lagos.

Onions and potatoes grown in Niger's arid climate are prized by coastal household shoppers, while Ivorian, Ghanaian and Nigerian manufactured goods are exported in the opposite direction.

Millions of Burkinabès and Malians are settled in Ivory Coast, a mainstay of the workforce for its cocoa plantations.

Moreover, the coup leaders are not pulling out of the West African CFA franc, an eight-country single currency, backed by France, that hampers competitiveness but provides a solid defence against inflation and monetary instability.

Yet these deep ties between the Sahelian countries and coastal West Africa were not sufficient to deter the military regimes in Mali, Burkina and Niger from announcing their withdrawal from Ecowas.

Hostility to the bloc, which they portray as bullying and arrogant, has paid political dividends, boosting their popularity at home. And Morocco talks of opening up an alternative trade corridor to its Atlantic ports, which could broaden the options.

But if the remaining Ecowas countries can accelerate their own drive for prosperity, pruning back trade barriers and pressing forward with breakthrough projects such as the coastal highway and rail line, then gradually they may salve today's political bruises and mistrusts and draw the Sahel states back into a reunified West African regional identity.

Paul Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London.

DECEMBER 18, 2024

By Olasunkanmi Akinlotan

The manager of Gateway International Agro-cargo Airport in Ogun State, Captain Dapo Olumide, has disclosed that the Ogun State Airport is taking time to commence operation because it is working hard to ensure that it is the first in Nigeria to operate with an operating permit and not the common aerodrome certificate popular across the country.

According to Olumide, the operating permit would see the airport attaining the Encas 2023 permit, which is more stringent than the Aerodrome Certification.

Olumide stated this on Monday during the visit of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents in Nigeria to the facility.

The manager said, “There are some people who have said why is our airport taking so long? That an airport can be built in six months, what they don’t understand is that since the good old days of FCAA, we have what they call an Aerodrome Certificate.

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“With ENCAS 2023, it has changed now to an operating permit, and there is a difference between an operating permit and an aerodrome certificate. Even with the old Aerodrome Certificate, how many airports in Nigeria comply?

“We are the first airport in Nigeria trying to attain the status of a full operating permit; it is for that reason alone that this project is taking longer than it would have been; maybe all will be set by now, should we opt for an Aerodrome Certificate.

“What you see as open space is part of a master plan because this is also an Aerotropolis. There are going to be hotels, amusement parks, and cinemas in the future; that is all part of the master plan. You can’t put everything together in one day,” he said.

He added that the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport is a perfect alternative dome for flight diversion in case of bad weather conditions, saying passengers would have an easy and faster ride to Lagos from there.

The manager of Gateway International Agro-cargo Airport in Ogun State, Captain Dapo Olumide, has disclosed that the Ogun State Airport is taking time to commence operation because it is working hard to ensure that it is the first in Nigeria to operate with an operating permit and not the common aerodrome certificate popular across the country.

According to Olumide, the operating permit would see the airport attaining the Encas 2023 permit, which is more stringent than the Aerodrome Certification.

Olumide stated this on Monday during the visit of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents in Nigeria to the facility.

The manager said, “There are some people who have said why is our airport taking so long? That an airport can be built in six months, what they don’t understand is that since the good old days of FCAA, we have what they call an Aerodrome Certificate.

The manager of Gateway International Agro-cargo Airport in Ogun State, Captain Dapo Olumide, has disclosed that the Ogun State Airport is taking time to commence operation because it is working hard to ensure that it is the first in Nigeria to operate with an operating permit and not the common aerodrome certificate popular across the country.

According to Olumide, the operating permit would see the airport attaining the Encas 2023 permit, which is more stringent than the Aerodrome Certification.

Olumide stated this on Monday during the visit of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents in Nigeria to the facility.

The manager said, “There are some people who have said why is our airport taking so long? That an airport can be built in six months, what they don’t understand is that since the good old days of FCAA, we have what they call an Aerodrome Certificate.

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“With ENCAS 2023, it has changed now to an operating permit, and there is a difference between an operating permit and an aerodrome certificate. Even with the old Aerodrome Certificate, how many airports in Nigeria comply?

“We are the first airport in Nigeria trying to attain the status of a full operating permit; it is for that reason alone that this project is taking longer than it would have been; maybe all will be set by now, should we opt for an Aerodrome Certificate.

“What you see as open space is part of a master plan because this is also an Aerotropolis. There are going to be hotels, amusement parks, and cinemas in the future; that is all part of the master plan. You can’t put everything together in one day,” he said.

He added that the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport is a perfect alternative dome for flight diversion in case of bad weather conditions, saying passengers would have an easy and faster ride to Lagos from there.

“The critics also say Ogun State Airport is so close to Lagos that that argument is not logical for the fact that we have the longest runway here, so it suits international flights coming in with wide bodies. You can land a triple 7 here or an A350, offload your passengers, and guess how long it will take you to Lagos by road because we will arrange buses.

“When you’re diverting, the airlines communicate with us here, and they make alternative arrangements. All those BRT buses you have in Lagos, all those types of buses will be arranged. Within an hour of getting off the aeroplane here, you are already in Lagos,” he said.

Also speaking, Ogun State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Engr Gbenga Dario, noted that the airport is situated within the special agricultural processing zone and is one of the eight zones across the country. He described it as a legacy project for the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration.

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr Ade Akinsanya, in his remarks, said the airport is about 95-98 per cent completed, adding that the its two fire tenders are on class 6, moving to class 7 with an additional fire tender.

“Overall, where we are today, I am pretty certain that we are ready to go commercial. Once we get the approval from the NCAA for commercial operations, we will commence. Right away, we have the approval for chartered flights already.

“The runway has been done for a long time; the fire station is done. You see the two fire tenders outside. Somehow, I don’t know how the captain did it; we got another fire tender, making it three. Right now, we are class six; with that additional fire tender, we are moving to class 7,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, members of LAAC have scored the Gateway International Agro Cargo Airport an A plus in terms of its designs and installations, affirming the airport as having the best facilities in the country at the moment.

Chairman of the league and editor of the Aviation and Transport section of the Blueprint Newspaper, Suleiman Idris, who spoke after the on-the-spot assessment of the level of work on the airport project, commended the visionary leadership of the governor, even as he affirmed that the airport project is a futuristic initiative not only for the state but for the South-West region of the country.

“With ENCAS 2023, it has changed now to an operating permit, and there is a difference between an operating permit and an aerodrome certificate. Even with the old Aerodrome Certificate, how many airports in Nigeria comply?

“We are the first airport in Nigeria trying to attain the status of a full operating permit; it is for that reason alone that this project is taking longer than it would have been; maybe all will be set by now, should we opt for an Aerodrome Certificate.

“What you see as open space is part of a master plan because this is also an Aerotropolis. There are going to be hotels, amusement parks, and cinemas in the future; that is all part of the master plan. You can’t put everything together in one day,” he said.

He added that the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport is a perfect alternative dome for flight diversion in case of bad weather conditions, saying passengers would have an easy and faster ride to Lagos from there.

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“The critics also say Ogun State Airport is so close to Lagos that that argument is not logical for the fact that we have the longest runway here, so it suits international flights coming in with wide bodies. You can land a triple 7 here or an A350, offload your passengers, and guess how long it will take you to Lagos by road because we will arrange buses.

“When you’re diverting, the airlines communicate with us here, and they make alternative arrangements. All those BRT buses you have in Lagos, all those types of buses will be arranged. Within an hour of getting off the aeroplane here, you are already in Lagos,” he said.

Also speaking, Ogun State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Engr Gbenga Dario, noted that the airport is situated within the special agricultural processing zone and is one of the eight zones across the country. He described it as a legacy project for the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration.

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr Ade Akinsanya, in his remarks, said the airport is about 95-98 per cent completed, adding that the its two fire tenders are on class 6, moving to class 7 with an additional fire tender.

“Overall, where we are today, I am pretty certain that we are ready to go commercial. Once we get the approval from the NCAA for commercial operations, we will commence. Right away, we have the approval for chartered flights already.

“The runway has been done for a long time; the fire station is done. You see the two fire tenders outside. Somehow, I don’t know how the captain did it; we got another fire tender, making it three. Right now, we are class six; with that additional fire tender, we are moving to class 7,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, members of LAAC have scored the Gateway International Agro Cargo Airport an A plus in terms of its designs and installations, affirming the airport as having the best facilities in the country at the moment.

Chairman of the league and editor of the Aviation and Transport section of the Blueprint Newspaper, Suleiman Idris, who spoke after the on-the-spot assessment of the level of work on the airport project, commended the visionary leadership of the governor, even as he affirmed that the airport project is a futuristic initiative not only for the state but for the South-West region of the country.

“The critics also say Ogun State Airport is so close to Lagos that that argument is not logical for the fact that we have the longest runway here, so it suits international flights coming in with wide bodies. You can land a triple 7 here or an A350, offload your passengers, and guess how long it will take you to Lagos by road because we will arrange buses.

“When you’re diverting, the airlines communicate with us here, and they make alternative arrangements. All those BRT buses you have in Lagos, all those types of buses will be arranged. Within an hour of getting off the aeroplane here, you are already in Lagos,” he said.

Also speaking, Ogun State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Engr Gbenga Dario, noted that the airport is situated within the special agricultural processing zone and is one of the eight zones across the country. He described it as a legacy project for the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration.

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr Ade Akinsanya, in his remarks, said the airport is about 95-98 per cent completed, adding that the its two fire tenders are on class 6, moving to class 7 with an additional fire tender.

“Overall, where we are today, I am pretty certain that we are ready to go commercial. Once we get the approval from the NCAA for commercial operations, we will commence. Right away, we have the approval for chartered flights already.

“The runway has been done for a long time; the fire station is done. You see the two fire tenders outside. Somehow, I don’t know how the captain did it; we got another fire tender, making it three. Right now, we are class six; with that additional fire tender, we are moving to class 7,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, members of LAAC have scored the Gateway International Agro Cargo Airport an A plus in terms of its designs and installations, affirming the airport as having the best facilities in the country at the moment.

Chairman of the league and editor of the Aviation and Transport section of the Blueprint Newspaper, Suleiman Idris, who spoke after the on-the-spot assessment of the level of work on the airport project, commended the visionary leadership of the governor, even as he affirmed that the airport project is a futuristic initiative not only for the state but for the South-West region of the country.