Lagos MRO Sparks Debate: Onyema Defends Move, Southeast Voices Call for Regional Development
The flag-off of a multi-million-dollar Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, has triggered both celebration and controversy. While the project is expected to save Nigeria ₦360 billion annually in foreign exchange, create 50,000 jobs, and attract regional airlines, critics argue it reflects Nigeria’s unhealthy overcentralisation in Lagos — and a missed opportunity for the Southeast.
Air Peace Chairman Chief Allen Onyema, whose airline is behind the project, has faced accusations from some of his kinsmen that he neglected his roots by not locating the MRO in Enugu or Anambra. In response, Onyema said his initial attempts to site the project in the Southeast were frustrated by land disputes and conflicting ownership claims.
“At Enugu, despite goodwill from the governor, land intrigues stalled progress. At Anambra, I paid ₦100 million for land, only to be told communities still laid claim to it. I was frustrated out of the Southeast,” Onyema said.
The Counterpoint: Southeast Expectations
Many in the Southeast, however, remain unconvinced. They argue that if Onyema had truly applied for land, the state governments — eager for investment — would have welcomed the project. Critics say locating such a landmark facility in the Southeast would have boosted local economies, created jobs for Igbo youths, and put the region firmly on the global aviation map.
“If investors keep running to Lagos, how will our region ever develop? Onyema should have persisted. Others have done it successfully outside Lagos,” a community leader in Enugu remarked.
Lessons from Akwa Ibom
The counterargument gains strength from Akwa Ibom State’s MRO, recently completed at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo. That facility has already begun positioning the state as an aviation hub, proving that major projects can thrive outside Lagos if local governments and communities create the right environment.
The Akwa Ibom example shows that while Lagos is the natural hub due to traffic density, Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure can and should be decentralised to unlock regional growth.
The Bigger Picture: Overcentralisation in Lagos
Experts agree that Lagos, while an economic powerhouse, is bursting at the seams. From seaports to industrial parks, most major infrastructure projects are concentrated there, leading to congestion, urban stress, and missed opportunities for other regions.
Locating the MRO in the Southeast could have eased that burden while simultaneously jump-starting industrial and economic development in the region. Critics argue that if communities continue to reject or frustrate investors, they reinforce the cycle of underdevelopment they often lament.
A Wake-Up Call for Investors and Communities
The MRO debate highlights two hard truths:
Investors must look beyond Lagos and deliberately contribute to balanced regional growth.
Communities and state governments must reform land administration and work together to provide land and support for strategic projects.
If Akwa Ibom could build an MRO, the Southeast can too — provided local stakeholders embrace the bigger picture of development.
Conclusion
Onyema’s Lagos MRO will undoubtedly bring huge national benefits. But his kinsmen’s frustrations are also justified: locating such a facility in the Southeast would have been transformative. The challenge now is not to rehash blame but to act — for investors to take bold steps into their regions, and for communities to create the environment that welcomes them.
A more balanced Nigeria will emerge only when every region hosts world-class infrastructure, not when all roads — and runways — lead to Lagos.
Headlinenews.news Special Investigative Report.
