By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Barely four years after the commissioning of the Anambra International Airport, Umueri (now the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri) by the immediate-past governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, the present administration of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has unveiled plans to construct another airport in the state.
According to reports, the proposed airport, which will be located in Ndikelionwu, Orumba North Local Government Area, is part of Soludo’s broader vision of transforming Anambra into a smart mega city and opening new frontiers for economic development across the state.
During a tour of the site, the Managing Director of Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport and Chairman of the newly constituted Airport and Aerotropolis Committee, Engr. Martins Emeka Nwafor, explained that the visit was primarily to identify a suitable, flyable location where the state government could develop an airport and a modern industrial park.
Engr. Nwafor described the project as a game changer that would not only expand aviation infrastructure in Anambra but also stimulate massive industrialization by combining the airport with surrounding commercial, residential, and logistics hubs, thus creating what he called a “dynamic airport-driven city.”
According to him, the idea of having multiple airports within Anambra is neither wasteful nor unnecessary, but a strategic move that will unlock untapped opportunities and place the state at the heart of aviation, trade, and investment in the South-East region and beyond.
The announcement of the project has already begun to stir reactions among host communities, beginning with the former President-General of Ndikelionwu Welfare Association, Hon. Fabian Nwosu, and the community’s Vice President, Hon. Ifesinachi Chukwurah Onwurah, who, in their separate remarks during the project’s site tour, expressed gratitude to the Soludo-led administration for choosing their town for such a historic development.
They assured the government of maximum cooperation, community security, and every necessary support to ensure the successful take-off and completion of the project in record time.
Reports also have it that the tour of the proposed site attracted a wide range of stakeholders, including the MD/CEO of Anambra State Solid Minerals Development Company Limited, Prof. Charles O. Ofoegbu; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Retired Air Vice Marshal Ben Chiobi; architect and founder of Sliding Towers, Mr. Chukwudi Ezenwa; traditional chiefs and elders of Ndikelionwu; as well as technical experts.
It was further gathered that geologists and geophysicists from the Solid Minerals Development Company were also on ground to conduct detailed geomapping of the location, which will guide subsequent stages of the project design and construction.
Efforts by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, to get further details about the proposed new airport and the project’s timeframe from the State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, proved abortive, as he was yet to respond to his call as at the time of this publication.
More photos from the tour:
