The Bayelsa state government has reportedly concluded plans to spend N25 billion naira to buy an aircraft to boost traffic at its international airport, which was commissioned for commercial traffic in 2020.
While no official statement has been made by the government, the plan was announced on social media by Samuel Kolawole Oredipe, the new media director to Governor Duoye Diri.
Reactions on social media on the news 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 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.
As of today, only Ibom Air is an airline owned by a state government – Akwa Ibom. It was established in June 2019, as a domestic airline in Nigeria with aspirations to expand regionally across Africa.
