Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has praised Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno following the commencement of international flight operations at the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo, describing it as Nigeria’s first genuine state-owned transit aviation hub.
Keyamo spoke exclusively to ARISE News after arriving in Accra on a flight from the upgraded airport, saying the development represents a historic milestone for the state and the country’s aviation sector.
He said the project marks the conclusion of a long process that began decades ago, noting the symbolic and developmental importance of the achievement.
“The Lord has made it for Akwa Ibom State. The journey that started 27 years ago has culminated in this very momentous event,” he said.
The minister emphasised that the facility is not just another airport terminal but a fully functional transit hub, a distinction he said sets it apart from other sub-national airports in Nigeria.
“In terms of sub-nationals, this is the only one that has a true transit hub. It is not just a terminal we commissioned today. A terminal is where people just fly in, process themselves and go into the city,” he explained.
He further described a transit hub as a facility where passengers could seamlessly connect between international and domestic flights without exiting the system into the host city.
“A true hub is where you can process yourself from an international flight arriving into another international flight departing, or you arrive by domestic flight and process yourself without entering the city,” he said.
Keyamo added that no other state-owned airport in the country currently meets this standard.
“All the state airports in the whole country, there is no transit hub. This is the only one, so there is no comparison,” he said.
According to him, the commencement of international operations is expected to significantly boost tourism, trade, and investment inflows into Akwa Ibom State.
“It will open up, it will engender tourism, commercial activities, trade and investment,” he stated.
He also highlighted the strict regulatory and operational requirements needed for an airport to function as an international facility, noting that such status requires the presence and coordination of key national agencies.
“You must have all of the agencies and the infrastructure. Their systems must be integrated with other entry points across the country,” he explained.
Addressing concerns about possible competition among airports, the minister dismissed such fears, arguing that airports are designed to stimulate economic activity rather than compete in isolation.
“It is the airport itself that generates the economic activity. It is not the other way around,” he said.
Keyamo projected that the new international status of the airport would attract private sector investment in hospitality, tourism, and commercial infrastructure around the facility.
“I told the governor, you will be embarrassed by the kind of pressure you will see from private investors in the next three to five years,” he added.
He also encouraged the state government to explore regional air routes, particularly connections to Central African cities such as Douala in Cameroon, to strengthen the airport’s role as a regional aviation hub.
