The Federal Authorities of Nigeria spent N8.73bn on airport energy infrastructure in 2024, primarily to make sure a constant electrical energy provide on the new worldwide terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Worldwide Airport, Abuja.
This expenditure was highlighted in a report by BudgIT’s transparency platform, GovSpend, accessed by The PUNCH on Wednesday.
Based on the report, vital funds have been made to J. Marine Logistics Ltd for outsourced energy provide. These included N5.67bn for energy provide between March and September 2023, N2.19bn on 9 Might 2024 for companies protecting October to November 2023 and a part of December 2023, and an extra N874.42m on the identical day as a part-payment for energy throughout that interval.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe Worldwide Airport has lengthy struggled with inconsistent electrical energy, leading to operational disruptions and passenger dissatisfaction. Previously, energy outages have impacted vital companies reminiscent of airfield lighting, baggage dealing with programs, and safety scanning tools. These challenges typically raised security considerations, significantly throughout night time operations and peak journey durations.
Aviation skilled Olumide Odunayo, in a telephone dialog with our correspondent, recommended the federal government’s efforts to deal with these points however burdened the necessity for a extra sustainable method.
“The airport ought to construct an alternate energy supply, in all probability utilizing a photo voltaic system or windmill,” he stated.
Odunayo additionally highlighted the excessive prices related to the present energy preparations, which depend on electrical energy distribution networks and diesel-powered turbines.
“The present provide from the electrical energy distribution community is enormously costly, affecting not solely the airport but in addition the companies inside it. This, in flip, will increase the price of companies, which is handed on to passengers,” he defined.
He additional emphasised the inefficiencies of counting on diesel-powered turbines, stating: “Cases of energy failure power a dependence on diesel-guzzling turbines, that are as expensive as they’re unsustainable. Airports ought to spend money on their very own impartial energy or discover different renewable sources.”
Odunayo urged the federal government to transition to renewable vitality sources reminiscent of photo voltaic or wind energy, noting that this might not solely scale back prices but in addition present a extra dependable and environmentally pleasant vitality provide.
“It could be higher to work in the direction of cost-efficient and environmentally pleasant options. This method wouldn’t solely guarantee reliability but in addition considerably scale back long-term bills,” he added.
Along with the 2024 investments, the Federal Authorities has appropriated N105.95bn for the aviation business within the 2025 price range, marking a major improve from the N63.32bn allotted within the outgoing 12 months.
Among the many proposed expenditures, N5bn has been earmarked for energy and vitality enhancements at airports in Lagos, Abuja, and different places.
The federal government has said that the challenge is “ongoing.” One other N5bn has been allotted for the event of aerospace services in Abuja, which the Ministry of Aviation described as additionally “ongoing.”
These investments intention to enhance passenger experiences, improve operational effectivity, and solidify Nigeria’s airports as worldwide hubs. The brand new terminal at Abuja airport, commissioned in December 2018, was designed to deal with elevated passenger site visitors and supply state-of-the-art services.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Growth Festus Keyamo stated in Might 2024 that the Federal Authorities spends N1bn month-to-month on electrical energy at Lagos airport.
He added that the ministry is engaged on adopting eco-friendly practices to eradicate the usage of diesel in airport operations.
Based on Keyamo, by investing in solar energy programs, the ministry will minimize the excessive prices of working the airports, saving the federal government 30 per cent of the present month-to-month electrical energy prices.
“We’re making cautious and gradual efforts in the direction of embracing eco-friendly practices, which is definitely what the world is about now — eco-friendly practices and inexperienced applied sciences in keeping with ICAO’s long-term world aspirational aim of net-zero carbon emissions within the aviation sector,” Keyamo stated.
He additional famous: “They need us to use, initially, the kind of gas that doesn’t burn a lot, that has low carbon emissions, and that’s the reason we need to steadily eradicate the usage of diesel to run our airports.
“We need to run our airports on photo voltaic, and that may save us a lot each month. Lagos airport alone, I’m informed, we spend N1bn month-to-month on electrical energy. That’s nonetheless one thing I’m attempting to crack,” he stated.