The Anambra State Government says its proposed Aerotropolis at the New Anambra Industrial Park will strengthen industrialisation, attract investment and position the South-East as a major logistics and commercial hub in Nigeria.
Governor Charles Soludo’s media aide, Mr. Daniel Ezeigwe, said in a statement that the airport-centred economic city was designed to attract manufacturers, logistics firms, technology companies, agro-processing industries and export-oriented businesses.
According to Ezeigwe, the project is a strategic economic development initiative, rather than an aviation infrastructure project and is expected to boost trade, create jobs and accelerate economic growth in Anambra and the wider South-East.
Ezeigwe explained that public criticism of the project stemmed from the misconception that the government intends to build another airport.
He likened the initiative to the 2004 banking sector consolidation introduced by Soludo during his tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), when the minimum capital requirement for banks was increased from ₦2 billion to ₦25 billion.
He said that although the policy initially attracted widespread criticism, it later strengthened Nigeria’s banking sector through mergers and acquisitions that produced more resilient financial institutions.
Ezeigwe said comparisons between the proposed Aerotropolis and the existing Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport were misplaced, explaining that an aerotropolis is an integrated economic city built around an airport to support manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals, technology, hospitality, finance and export processing.
He said the development would complement the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport by providing modern logistics infrastructure, enabling faster export of agricultural produce through cold-chain facilities, improving access to international markets for manufacturers, particularly in Nnewi, and attracting investments in various sectors.
The Governor’s aide added that the Aerotropolis would serve businesses across the South-East, including Aba, Onitsha, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo, strengthening the region’s competitiveness in trade and industry.
He said the project forms part of the Soludo administration’s long-term strategy to expand industrial activities, promote exports and build an integrated business ecosystem capable of driving sustainable economic growth in Anambra State and the South-East.
