Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah has said that the Nigeria Aerotropolis project will create at least 10 million jobs for Nigerians, especially the youth in the first two years of its take-off.
The Minister was speaking on Tuesday during the Public Hearing organised by the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating the FCT Land Swap. The Federal Ministry of Aviation is participating in the land swap for the Abuja Aerotropolis project.
The Minister said the projects, to be sited in Abuja and other major international airports across the country, has a value chain with the potential to transform the Nigerian economy and the living standards of the rural farmers through Perishable Cargo exports. Oduah said an estimated N100 billion will be generated annually from the initiative.
Explaining that the initiative is private-sector driven with 20 per cent equity holding by government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Minister added that value chains would span the agricultural, Health, Manufacturing, Culture and Tourism sectors of the economy.
Already, she said investors from Nigeria, the USA, China, Turkey and other European countries have embraced the initiative, just as she disclosed that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has endorsed the Abuja Aerotropolis for which documentation is being finalised for the land acquisition. The Minister further disclosed that that the FCT has already incorporated the Aerotropolis project into its development Master Plan.
The Minister dispelled fears about issues concerning non-payment of compensation, saying although the land would be acquired at the going commercial value, all due compensation would be paid promptly. She however stressed that the greatest compensation Nigerians will get from the initiative will come in the form of millions of jobs that will be created for the teeming unemployed youth population.
”The development of airport cities (aerotropolis) is a 21`st century phenomenon that is gaining ground all over the world. It is no longer fashionable to have an International Airport without the support facilities and amenities such as shopping arcades, hotels, packaging industries, Residential Estates, modern airline offices and recreational facilities. The proposed aerotropolis will definitely boost the Nigerian economy and generate the much-needed employment for our teeming youth”, the Minister concluded in her Presentation.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Ad hoc committee, Bimbo Daramola said part of the Terms of Reference of the committee was to ascertain that land acquired through the FCT Land Swap Programme was for noble purposes and not used for racketeering. He commended the Minister for embarking on the aerotropolis project, saying it is a ”laudable and noble objective”. He expressed joy that the Minister ”has taken the aviation sector to another level” and expressed the hope that the aerotropolis project will not only be profitable for private sector investors, the government and people of Nigeria, but also sustainable.
