The Bayelsa state government in southern Nigeria reportedly plans to spend NGN25 billion naira (USD15.9 million) to buy an undisclosed aircraft to boost traffic at the new Bayelsa International Airport, which was commissioned for commercial traffic in 2020, according to the newspapers Punch and the Niger Delta Herald.
While no official statement has been made by the government, the plan was announced on social media by Samuel Kolawole Oredipe, the authority's new media director. Reactions on social media were mixed; some deemed it a positive step for local employment and revenue, while others criticised the suggested expenditure and raised concerns about the ability of Bayelsa Airport Company Limited to manage an airline. The Bayelsa Coalition for Accountability and Good Governance declared the plan an "act of financial recklessness" given the state’s mounting debt.
This follows recent reports that the Ebonyi state government in southeastern Nigeria plans to acquire four aircraft for a new state-run airline to optimise the use of Chuba Okadigbo International Airport in Abakaliki.
The states have been inspired by Ibom Air (QI, Uyo), the airline established by the Akwa Ibom state government in June 2019, which has established itself as a domestic airline in Nigeria with aspirations to expand regionally across Africa.
