The air transport sector in Nigeria made a significant contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, with a total value of N215.6 billion.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the sector’s output is largely concentrated in a few states, with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Lagos, and Rivers accounting for over 70 percent of the sector’s total output.
Abuja led the way with a contribution of N69.88 billion, representing 32.4 percent of the sector’s total output. Lagos followed closely with a contribution of N62.64 billion, accounting for 29 percent of the sector’s output. Rivers state came third with a contribution of N22.91 billion, representing 10.6 percent of the sector’s output.
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The top 10 states in terms of air transport’s GDP share in 2023 were:
- Abuja: N69.88 billion (32.4 percent of total output)
- Lagos: N62.64 billion (29% of total output)
- Rivers: N22.91 billion (10.6% of total output
- Delta: N10.27 billion
- Kano: N7.41 billion
- Imo: N6.74 billion
- Enugu: N5.72 billion
- Edo: N5.17 billion
- Akwa Ibom: N4.45 billion
- Borno: N2.66 billion
Together, these top 10 states accounted for over 95 percent of the sector’s total output in 2023. On the other hand, some states had relatively low air transport contributions, including Benue, Jigawa, Niger, Kebbi, and Bauchi. Several states, including Abia, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara, had no recorded air transport contribution in 2023.
According to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the aviation sector contributes $1.7 billion to Nigeria’s GDP.
The authority’s managing director, Olubunmi Kuku, reported that over 16 million passengers traversed Nigeria’s domestic terminals, while international passenger numbers exceeded 3.5 million.
