The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigeria’s air transport sector contributed N215.6 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, underlining the industry’s growing importance to the national economy.
According to The Cable, in the latest data on state GDP on aviation, the bureau said just three states, the federal capital territory (FCT) Abuja, Lagos, and Rivers, accounted for more than 70 percent of the sector’s total output.
Analysis showed Abuja led with N69.88 billion (32.4 percent), Lagos followed with N62.64 billion (29 percent), and Rivers state came third with N22.91 billion (10.6 percent). Others in the top 10 include Delta (N10.27 billion), Imo (N6.74 billion), Kano (N7.41 billion), Enugu (N5.72 billion), Edo (N5.17 billion), Akwa Ibom (N4.45 billion), and Borno (N2.66 billion). Together, the top 10 states contributed more than 95 percent of air transport’s GDP share in 2023.
At the lower end of the table, states such as Benue (N38.54 million), Jigawa (N53.76 million), Niger (N15.09 million), Kebbi (N249.11 million), and Bauchi (N264.37 million) recorded the least activity. Furthermore, several states, including Abia, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara, had no recorded air transport contribution in the year under review. On May 23, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said the aviation sector now contributes $1.7 billion to Nigeria’s GDP. According to Olubunmi Kuku, managing director of FAAN, over 16 million passengers traversed Nigeria’s domestic terminals, while international passenger numbers exceeded 3.5 million.
