Monday, August 4, 2025 - Regional General Manager, South South and Airport Manager of Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo International Airport (PHIA), Omagwa, Mrs. Ifesinachi Lynda Ezike, has stated the airport generated a total revenue of N21.41 billion or about $631,479 between 2021 and 2024.
In a presentation titled:” Investment Opportunities in
Airport Public-Private Partnerships”, Ezike said the airport generated
N2,141,273,717.79 ($109,949.39) in 2021 and N10,643,614,713.83 ($ 71,112.08) in
2024. According to her, a total of N 7,465,086,663.73 ($171,668.78),
representing 70 per cent of total 2024 revenue has been generated between January
and June 2025 (a six-month period). N1,988,772,170.57 ($4,073.52) was generated
in January and N1,284,877,729.02 ($ 11,668.20) in June 2025.
She said the Port Harcourt International Airport established in 1978 was designed to bolster
connectivity in Rivers State and underpin economic expansion and has undergone
significant modernisation, now serving approximately 1.5 million passengers
annually across domestic and international routes. It supports 64 daily flights
with major airlines like Lufthansa and Qatar Airways.
In her analysis, Ezike identified the strength of the
airport to its strategic location in Nigeria’s economic hub, growing air
travel demand in Nigeria and Africa, world-class international passenger and
cargo terminals.
She listed other attractions of the airport to include its
annual passenger traffic capacity of about 1 million and extensive land mass of
over 2,687 hectares for expansion.
On its challenges, she said the managers are contending with
ageing infrastructure and inadequate facilities, reliance on manual operations
and high operational costs, limited international airline operations: only four
international carriers, heavy dependence on aviation-related income and
aging staff demographic and need for continuous training.
She highlighted opportunities in the airport to include:
diversification into non-aeronautical revenue like hotels, technology adoption
for efficiency and passenger experience, the potential to become a regional
aviation hub for West Africa.
Others she said include: expanding cargo handling to
capitalize on e-commerce and available land for airline home base facilities.
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Ezike said: There are threats like economic downturn impacts
traffic and purchasing power, increasing competition from other regional
airports, security challenges impacting operations and safety, cost and
availability of spare parts for operations and fuel price volatility affecting
airline profitability.
“Port Harcourt International Airport has met over 75 per
cent of the NCAA requirements for aerodrome certification, with the aerodrome
manual and SOPs already developed and appropriate implements to close gaps on
order for the aerodrome license to be acquired.
“There is a need for the construction of a taxiway lane to
the isolated aircraft parking bay, implementation of airfield lighting CAT 2,
installation of conventional taxiway lighting and construction of a ground
handling equipment bay.”
She further said the rationale for the Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) Model of airport development has become imperative in order
to achieve improved Infrastructure.
She said: “PPPs enable project delivery without sole
reliance on public funds. This will bring about increased efficiency since
private sector expertise enhances project efficiency and quality, sharing of
risks distributed by PPPs thereby reducing the burden on governments,
innovation and cost savings. Private involvement drives innovation, technology,
and cost efficiencies. The other one is enhanced service delivery.
“Port Harcourt International Airport stands as a gateway to
economic transformation for Rivers State and Nigeria at large. The airport has
witnessed significant infrastructural improvements and service enhancements,
laying a strong foundation for future growth.
Diverse investment opportunities exist across
non-aeronautical revenue streams, infrastructure development, and service
optimization.
“The adoption of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models
offers a strategic path to sustainable development, innovation, and financial
viability. By embracing effective governance models and transparent
implementation processes, stakeholders can unlock immense value while enhancing
passenger experience and operational efficiency,” she concluded.
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