Inside Edo
Outrage mounts as Okpebholo pushes 'Edo Air' project amid crumbling infrastructure, soaring unemployment
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
24 Jan 2026 05:37 AM
Benin, Edo – In a brazen display of misplaced priorities and fiscal irresponsibility, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo is barreling ahead with his ill-conceived "Edo Air" airline scheme, drawing sharp rebukes from opposition parties, civil society, and frustrated residents who see it as nothing more than a glorified ego trip while the state rots from the ground up.
Critics, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have lambasted the initiative as a "misplaced priority" that reeks of procurement kickbacks and looting, diverting scarce resources from dire needs like fixing death-trap roads, combating rampant unemployment, and curbing escalating insecurity that has turned Edo into a haven for kidnappers and robbers.
Okpebholo's recent meeting with Federal Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, where he pushed for a technical committee and touted partnerships with South African investors for aircraft has only fueled the fire.
The governor, in a tone-deaf declaration, claimed he wants the airline operational "immediately, like tomorrow," positioning it as a magic bullet for economic revival, job creation, and transforming Benin Airport into a hub.
But this pie-in-the-sky rhetoric falls flat in a state where federal and local roads still need government intervention.
Okpebholo himself has admitted to inheriting "collapsed infrastructure" from predecessor Godwin Obaseki, yet he's chosen to chase airborne fantasies over grounding his administration in reality.
Edo's unemployment crisis, particularly among youth, continues to breed social unrest, while insecurity marked by armed robberies and abductions terrorizes communities unchecked.
In his New Year's address, Okpebholo vaguely acknowledged these "serious challenges," pledging stronger security and inclusive development. Yet, his actions scream hypocrisy; instead of funneling funds into road repairs, job programs, or bolstered policing, he's obsessing over an airline that risks becoming yet another Nigerian white elephant, draining public coffers for dubious gains.
Detractors point to the lack of executive collaboration and a myopic focus on "irrelevant projects" as evidence of a "one-man show" designed more for personal enrichment than public good.
Even supporters' defenses, which weakly invoke models like Ibom Air, crumble under scrutiny as Edo lacks the foundational stability those ventures built upon, and launching an airline amid such chaos is not visionary, it's delusional.
Keyamo's endorsement, recalling Benin Airport's faded glory under the defunct Okada Air, does little to mask the project's pitfalls.
While the minister promised weekly updates and regulatory support, aiming for operations by mid-2026, skeptics argue this federal backing only enables Okpebholo's folly, potentially saddling Edo with unsustainable debt.
Historical precedents abound from failed state ventures across Nigeria to warnings against governors meddling in aviation without solid groundwork.
As Edo residents brace for another year of hardship, Okpebholo's high-flying ambitions expose a dangerous disconnect from the grounded realities of his people.
Critics, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have lambasted the initiative as a "misplaced priority" that reeks of procurement kickbacks and looting, diverting scarce resources from dire needs like fixing death-trap roads, combating rampant unemployment, and curbing escalating insecurity that has turned Edo into a haven for kidnappers and robbers.
Okpebholo's recent meeting with Federal Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, where he pushed for a technical committee and touted partnerships with South African investors for aircraft has only fueled the fire.
The governor, in a tone-deaf declaration, claimed he wants the airline operational "immediately, like tomorrow," positioning it as a magic bullet for economic revival, job creation, and transforming Benin Airport into a hub.
But this pie-in-the-sky rhetoric falls flat in a state where federal and local roads still need government intervention.
Okpebholo himself has admitted to inheriting "collapsed infrastructure" from predecessor Godwin Obaseki, yet he's chosen to chase airborne fantasies over grounding his administration in reality.
Edo's unemployment crisis, particularly among youth, continues to breed social unrest, while insecurity marked by armed robberies and abductions terrorizes communities unchecked.
In his New Year's address, Okpebholo vaguely acknowledged these "serious challenges," pledging stronger security and inclusive development. Yet, his actions scream hypocrisy; instead of funneling funds into road repairs, job programs, or bolstered policing, he's obsessing over an airline that risks becoming yet another Nigerian white elephant, draining public coffers for dubious gains.
Detractors point to the lack of executive collaboration and a myopic focus on "irrelevant projects" as evidence of a "one-man show" designed more for personal enrichment than public good.
Even supporters' defenses, which weakly invoke models like Ibom Air, crumble under scrutiny as Edo lacks the foundational stability those ventures built upon, and launching an airline amid such chaos is not visionary, it's delusional.
Keyamo's endorsement, recalling Benin Airport's faded glory under the defunct Okada Air, does little to mask the project's pitfalls.
While the minister promised weekly updates and regulatory support, aiming for operations by mid-2026, skeptics argue this federal backing only enables Okpebholo's folly, potentially saddling Edo with unsustainable debt.
Historical precedents abound from failed state ventures across Nigeria to warnings against governors meddling in aviation without solid groundwork.
As Edo residents brace for another year of hardship, Okpebholo's high-flying ambitions expose a dangerous disconnect from the grounded realities of his people.
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