JUST IN: How Governor Alex Otti Convinced Tinubu to Approve Abia International Airport Instead of Airstrip Keyamo Reveals

By Emma Nwokonna On Jun 22, 2026

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo just gave the backstory on Abia’s game changing airport project. Turns out it was almost just an airstrip until Gov. Alex Otti made a bold play.

The original plan Just an airstrip
When Keyamo briefed President Tinubu about aviation gaps, Tinubu was shocked Abia had zero landing facility. The FG budgeted for a basic airstrip for Abia in the 2024 budget.

Keyamo says Otti didn’t stop there. He went “straight to Mr.
President behind me and told Tinubu Sir, bring the money budgeted for the airstrip, I have counterpart funding. I will now make it a full international airport

Otti assured FG that Abia State would provide the necessary counterpart funding to upgrade it from airstrip to full international airport. That commitment + financial readiness convinced Tinubu to approve the upgrade.

Construction of the runway at Abia International Airport, Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North, is now at an advanced stage. Keyamo says FG will soon begin injecting funds into other critical airport infrastructure.

Keyamo says the airport will position Abia State as a commercial and industrial hub of the South-East. It’s part of Tinubu’s agenda that no par of the country should be left behind

Gov. Otti himself said Abia had been left out for too long, and he wants United Nigeria Airlines to make the new airport its primary hub.

This killed a decade-old controversy. The previous admin was accused of mismanaging N10bn on a non-existent airport project

Otti moved the site from a built-up area to Nsulu, between Aba and Umuahia, to avoid demolition/compensation issues.