By Foster Obi
The push by the Abia State Government for a cargo airport has escalated from a regional development aspiration into a broader national debate about economic equity, trade justice and the structural marginalisation of Nigeria’s South-East in the country’s logistics architecture.
With no functional seaport, no cargo airport and limited rail connectivity, Abia State, one of Nigeria’s most industrious commercial hubs remains structurally locked out of direct participation in global trade. For decades, its manufacturers and exporters have been forced to route goods through Lagos ports, absorbing crushing logistics costs, delays and systemic inefficiencies that significantly erode competitiveness.
Governor Alex Otti’s decision to challenge the Federal Government’s refusal to approve a cargo airport for Abia at an international court has therefore reframed the issue: not as a local infrastructure request, but as a question of economic rights within a federal system.
A State without a Gateway
Abia’s economic paradox is stark. Aba, the state’s commercial nerve centre, hosts thousands of small and medium-scale manufacturers producing garments, leather goods, footwear, agro-processed items and light industrial products for both local and export markets. Yet, unlike Lagos, Rivers, or even neighbouring states with aviation or maritime gateways, Abia has no direct cargo outlet.
As a result, Abia-based traders depend almost entirely on Lagos ports-Apapa, Tin Can and increasingly Lekki, transporting containers over more than 500 kilometres of congested roads.
“The cost of moving one container from Aba to Lagos can be higher than shipping that same container from Lagos to Europe,” said Emeka Nwankwo, a logistics consultant familiar with South-East trade flows. “That is not an economic accident; it is a structural disadvantage.”
Industry figures estimate that exporters from Abia and neighbouring South-East states spend between 25 and 40 per cent more on logistics than competitors located closer to ports or cargo airports.
Lagos congestion and regional tensions
Ironically, the burden placed on Lagos ports by cargo from other regions has become a source of political friction. Recently, the Lagos State Government publicly criticised the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over efforts to revive Eastern ports, warning that such moves could reduce Lagos’ dominance in maritime trade.
That reaction has been interpreted in the South-East as evidence of a deeper resistance to decentralising Nigeria’s logistics economy.
“If Lagos is truly overwhelmed by congestion, then easing access to trade infrastructure elsewhere should be welcomed, not resisted,” said Dr. Ifunanya Okeke, an economist and export-trade researcher. “Opposition to Eastern ports or an Abia cargo airport contradicts the logic of national efficiency.”
Federal reluctance and legal escalation
Despite repeated applications and technical submissions, federal authorities initially withheld approval for Abia’s proposed cargo airport, raising questions about consistency in infrastructure policy. Several states with less industrial output already operate airports with federal backing, while Abia, a manufacturing centre was denied similar consideration.
Governor Otti’s administration argues that the refusal amounts to economic discrimination, especially in a region already disadvantaged by the collapse of Eastern seaports and weak federal investment.
Taking the matter to international arbitration, the state contends that denying Abia access to critical trade infrastructure undermines its constitutional right to pursue economic development and violates principles of fair competition within a federation.
More than an Airport
Experts stress that a cargo airport is not merely a runway, but an economic ecosystem. Such facilities typically attract bonded warehouses, cold-chain logistics, freight forwarders, customs processing zones and export-oriented industrial parks.
“A cargo airport would immediately reposition Abia as a logistics hub for the South-East and parts of the South-South,” said a former aviation regulator, who asked not to be named. “It would also decongest Lagos and shorten supply chains.”
For exporters of perishables, pharmaceuticals, and time-sensitive manufactured goods, air freight can mean the difference between profit and loss.
Business voices from Aba
Manufacturers in Aba say the absence of a cargo airport keeps them trapped in a cycle of inefficiency.
“We lose contracts simply because buyers don’t want the delays associated with Lagos routing,” said Chief Chibuzo Umeh, a garment exporter. “If we had a cargo airport here, our products could reach Europe or the Middle East within 24 hours.”
Others argue that the situation has quietly discouraged formal exports, pushing many businesses into informal cross-border trade and limiting government revenue.
A question of economic justice
Beyond logistics, the Abia cargo airport debate has taken on symbolic significance. To many in the South-East, it reflects a long-standing pattern where strategic national infrastructure is concentrated in a few regions, while others are expected to remain consumers rather than producers in the global economy.
“The issue is not whether Abia deserves an airport,” said Dr. Okeke. “The real question is why a region that contributes so much to Nigeria’s informal and formal economy is denied the tools to scale legally and competitively.”
Looking Ahead
As legal proceedings continue and construction plans advance, the Abia cargo airport has become a test case for Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive development. Supporters argue that approving and supporting the project would not weaken Lagos, but strengthen Nigeria’s overall trade resilience.
In a global economy increasingly driven by speed, decentralisation and logistics efficiency, the cost of denying Abia a cargo gateway may ultimately
be borne not just by one state, but by the nation itself.
