The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) has urged Governor Charles Soludo to shift focus from plans to construct a second airport in Anambra State and instead prioritise investments in rail transportation and mechanised agriculture.
The call comes in response to an announcement made by Martins Nwafor, Managing Director of the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport, Umueri, who revealed during an expert site tour on Thursday that the state government plans to build a new airport in Ndikelionwu, Orumba North Local Government Area.
In a statement issued in Enugu on Friday, Chief Augustine Chukwudum, Chairman of the NUF, described the proposed airport project as an unnecessary use of resources, especially when the state’s first airport in Anambra East LGA has yet to reach full operational capacity.
Chukwudum questioned the rationale behind constructing a second airport, arguing that the state’s population, largely made up of traders, would benefit more from affordable, efficient intra- and inter-state transport systems, particularly a modern rail network.
“As a pan-Igbo socio-cultural development organisation, NUF believes that Governor Soludo’s plan for another airport is a misallocation of public resources,” he said.
“Orumba South, where the new airport is reportedly planned, does not need one. It is a predominantly agricultural region that would benefit far more from investment in commercial, mechanised farming than in aviation infrastructure.”
The NUF chairman lamented the state government’s neglect of repeated calls to create an enabling environment for agricultural growth and agro-industrialisation.
“Anambra is blessed with vast expanses of fertile land capable of supporting diverse agricultural production,” he noted.
“It is disappointing that past administrations have failed to tap into this potential due to lack of vision and innovation.”
Chukwudum concluded by warning that pursuing the second airport project could result in a white elephant, an expensive but underutilised venture, ultimately serving little benefit to the residents of the state.
