Residents exploit new opportunities at airport
Drivers, traders, artisans turn airport to cash cow
From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Even before the widely publicised diversion of international flights from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to Kaduna airport came to full operation, business minded individuals and organizations in the state have been smiling to the banks. This is because the six weeks diversion of international flights opened new opportunities for the people of Kaduna State and their neighbors.
Investigations by Daily Sun showed that the new development affected many sectors of the economy including the big and small-scale business outlets. Already, hotels are waking up to take advantage of the increased traffic of trvellers compelled to make stopover.
Some upgraded their facilities while others repositioned their brands to attract the attention of the international passengers who may want to spend a day or two before proceeding to Abuja.
Many of the business interests situated at strategic locations in the neighborhood of the Kaduna Airport are not left out of the frenzy. They are recording impressive turnovers daily. Unlike before, more people throng the neighborhood of the airport, scaling up the quantity of their sales
Indications of the new commercial climate at the airport could be observed by the haste at which some of the dealers in fashion, fabrics, restaurants and telecoms, around Azikiwe International Airport had temporarily relocated to Kaduna. There are new faces here and there, while the vehicular traffic especially on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressroad has become heavier.
Alhaji Usman Ahmed, a trader at the Railway Station, described the new opportunities as breathtaking, holding that that since works began at the airport, he has enjoyed an unprecedented opening:
“So far, it has been favorable to us since the whole thing started. I can tell you that my market is improving. We are happy that the Federal Government opted for the state for this diversion. It is like moving the world’s economy to Kaduna State.
“Before now, I sold between three and five crates of soft drinks. But now, like the day the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, visited the state, I immediately sold about 20 crates of soft drinks and water. We pray that this should continue so we can expand our businesses.”
A commercial taxi driver, Alhaji Aminu Ado, observed that apart from hike in prospective air passengers, the diversion has necessitated a number of infrastructural repairs. He identified the fixing of the spots along Kaduna Bypass as a major example.
He believed the rehabilitated roads would invariably reduce accidents:
“Though it is unfortunate that the government has just shown interest in fixing this road simply because the airport will be functioning on international capacity for the first time, but the important thing is that, they are here now.
“Going to the airport has not been easy due to the rigorous security check points. But the development is favorable to us first as an indigene of the state and as a transporter who has been in the business for over 13 years. We thank them for bringing this airport here.”
Representative of Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), at the airport, Mr. Okunoye Adeboye Gabriel, attested to the fact that, before now, there was nothing much on ground for their members, but added that in contrast, things are moving very fine now:
“The planes have not had issues with landing or taking off contrary to the controversy that beclouded the announcement. There is proper transportation arrangement on ground though I don’t know whether it is organized by the state or the Federal Government or both.
“There are luxury buses on ground conveying passengers to either the railway terminal or to Abuja with full security arrangement attached to them.”
He explained that his union had educated their members on how to be receptive to passengers in the course of their legitimate business:
“We are friends of police because there is no way we can minus them from the transport business. Our men are conscious of who they carry in their vehicles. We are satisfied with the presence of the police at every point. Their presence has given us hope as we shuttle within and outside the airport.”
He admitted that the roads were now good enough adding that before the diversion, the road from the airport junction to Mondo Roundabout was not in a good shape: “But that is history now because it has been fixed. There is also the provision of street lights at night.”
One of the passengers who was on board of the Ethiopian aircraft that made the initial arrival in the state, Mr. Annah Gery, described his experience as worthwhile: “It is fine, it is convenient and I am enjoying it. The landing was good just like any other airport around the globe.”
Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who was in Kaduna to witness the arrival of the first flight was optimistic that the diversion would run smoothly and would be concluded within the stipulated time frame of six weeks:
“There were quite a few doubting Thomases who had doubted whether Kaduna Airport can work, but Kaduna is working. We have a flight now from Ethiopian Airlines. We thank Ethiopian Airlines for believing in us, for partnering with Nigeria in times of need.
“I believe other foreign airlines like Luthtanza, Air France, etc will come. They are probably regretting now and I pray they will respond also and start landing in Kaduna because Nigeria is identifying its friends in terms of need.
“We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for also allowing us to do what we should do, to do our job and to be able to keep everyone safe within the industry of aviation and also to believe that we can do it and here we are doing it.”
While saying the repair of the runway in Abuja would by no means stretch beyond the stipulated six weeks, the minister regretted the whole idea of diverting flights to Kaduna International Airport would not have been contemplated but for the failure of the runway in Abuja which was due to years of neglect:
“This is a big lesson for us that we should not abandon our duty post wherever we found ourselves, so that we will not have a repeat of the same situation in the other sectors of the Nigerian economy.”
Spokesman of the Nigeria Police in the state, Alhaji Aliyu Usman, reassured passengers on their security while re-echoing the resolve of the IGP to ensure the security of all passengers. He added that the officers involved in the operation had been specially schooled:
“In fact, a few days ago, the IGP, Alhaji Idris Ibrahim, was on assessment tour of the airport. He had assured air travelers, especially foreigners, of adequate security. We have provided vehicles and helicopters for aerial surveillance. We mobilized men for different units of the Force Counter-Terrorism and Anti-Bomb Squad to man the security points within and outside airport.
“We have also deployed sniper dogs in all hooks and crannies of the airport. We are covering all the highways from Kaduna to Abuja road linking to the town. All the buses to be provided by government as chartered vehicles are providing security on each of them.
“We will equally provide security at railway stations both the one in Abuja and the one located here at Rigasa in Kaduna. Each of the couches will have security men onboard for effective security throughout the period of the operations. We have tasked the helicopter to mend for security surveillance 24 hours.”