The proximity of Northern Cross River state to the North-central and North-east zones of Nigeria cannot be underscored.
It is a geographical reality that Cross River state has to take advantage of to enhance the socio-economic development of these zones in particular and the country in general.
The North-central state of Benue shares a boundary with Obudu, Cross River state, and it’s a major center of food production. Also, the North-central state of Nasarawa is a major center of the solid mineral industry in the country.
It is sheer ingenuity for Governor Ben Ayade to have conceived the Obudu Cargo International Airport to be a major hub for the exploration of solid minerals and finished agricultural products in Europe and other parts of the world.
The processed industrial products from the French Fries Factory in Obanliku in Cross River state will be exported abroad and thus end the importation of this product to Nigeria thereby saving precious foreign exchange for the country.
Presently, the Obudu Cargo International Airport is 80% completed.
What is a cargo airport? Air cargo is any property carried or to be carried in an aircraft. Air cargo comprises air freight, air express, and airmail.
The pertinent question that has agitated the minds of people which I will attempt to clarify as much as possible is: why Obudu International Airport? Put differently, why is Obudu Cargo International Airport a necessity?
1. It is a necessity because it will export potatoes and French fries to Europe while being cultivated in Obudu Ranch. In Nigeria, all French fries are presently imported.
2. Export of beef with an impetus to catalyse the reactivation of the Obudu Cattle Ranch;
3. Export of flowers from the Ranch Resort which has a rich horticultural environment enabling the importation of rare species of flowers to Europe for which a small country like Rwanda makes about a billion dollars per annum.
4. For the export of solid minerals such as gold, diamond, and tantalite, having a cargo airport in Obudu will bring the needed connectivity between the three zones in Nigeria to the world;
5. Traffic of passengers to the Obudu Ranch Resort takes about 7 hours (from Lagos to Calabar and thereafter by road to the Ranch Resort), for instance. The Air Strip in Obudu can only carry light aircraft and is nonfunctional at the moment owing to the air mishaps around that area. An international airport in Obudu will open up the area and bring the needed economic development within that axis;
6. The transportation of people to the British-Canadian University, Obudu, for students studying law, medicine, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) will be invaluable relief to such students and their parents if an international airport is sited in Obudu.
7. For medical tourism, passengers to the Obudu German Cancer Centre and World Class Quaternary Hospital (currently the best in Nigeria) would find the international airport in Obudu a huge relief.
What is quaternary medicine?
Quaternary care has been defined as an extension of tertiary care about advanced levels of medicine which are highly specialised and not widely accessed, and usually only offered in a very limited number of national or international centers;
8. The Obanliku Industrial Sweetener factory from maize and from which Sorbitol is produced can be exported from the Obudu International Airport as well.
What is sorbitol?
Sorbitol is a faintly sweet alcohol C6H14O6 that occurs in some fruits, is made synthetically, and is used especially as a humectant and softener and in making ascorbic acid. Those who criticise these factories as being non-functional can very well invest in them by taking interest in their running and administration. The important thing is that the government has opened up the business space for individuals to key into these ventures;
9. There is a groundnut oil factory in Bekwara close to Obudu and can take benefit of the international airport in Obudu to export groundnut oil to Dubai for onward bottling and sales in the Gulf states;
10. For the export of yam flour for industrial gum and pounded yam for Africans living in the diaspora, the airport in Obudu comes handy;
The Obudu International Airport is one of the ingenious signature projects of Governor Ayade to transform Cross River state and create an economy that hitherto was non-existent.
Obono-Obla writes from Obudu, Cross River state
