By Peter Omopo | September 12, 2025
The Anambra State Government has announced plans to construct a new airport in Ndikelionwu, Orumba North Local Government Area, less than four years after the inauguration of the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport, Umueri.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Achebe Airport project was launched on April 11, 2017, completed in 2020, and formally commissioned by former Governor Willie Obiano on October 30, 2021.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the proposed site on Friday, the Managing Director of Chinua Achebe Cargo International Airport, Mr. Martins Nwafor, said the new project formed part of the present administration’s drive to transform Anambra into a smart megacity.
“The project will also attract investments by combining aviation infrastructure with surrounding commercial, residential, and logistics facilities to create a dynamic airport-driven city,” Nwafor explained.
He noted that having more than one airport would fast-track industrialisation and open up new development opportunities across the state. According to him, the visit was aimed at identifying a suitable location for both the airport and an accompanying industrial park, which will be developed as part of an aerotropolis project.
Nwafor, who also chairs the newly constituted Airport and Aerotropolis Committee, described the plan as a “game changer” that would unlock untapped economic potential in the state.
Community leaders, including former President-General of the Ndikelionwu Welfare Association, Fabian Nwosu, and Vice President Ifesinachi Onwurah, welcomed the project. They assured the government of their community’s support, highlighting the potential for massive job creation and local economic growth.
Government officials present at the inspection included Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, Managing Director of the Anambra State Solid Minerals Development Company Limited; Retired AVM Ben Chiobi, Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Security; and architect Chukwudi Ezenwa, founder of Sliding Towers.
Geologists and geophysicists from the Solid Minerals Development Company were also on site to provide mapping and technical assessments of the proposed location.
