Nigeria’s air transport sector generated ₦215.6 billion for the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
However, the industry remains concentrated, as just three states—Abuja, Lagos, and Rivers—controlled more than 70% of total output.
To begin with, Abuja led the sector, producing ₦69.88 billion, which represented 32.4% of national output.
Lagos followed closely, adding ₦62.64 billion or 29%, while Rivers ranked third, delivering ₦22.91 billion or 10.6%.
Moving further down the list, other states added smaller contributions:
- Delta generated ₦10.27bn
- Kano produced ₦7.41bn
- Imo delivered ₦6.74bn
- Enugu contributed ₦5.72bn
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- Edo added ₦5.17bn
- Akwa Ibom recorded ₦4.45bn
- Borno provided ₦2.66bn
Together, these top 10 states accounted for more than 95% of the sector’s GDP contribution in 2023.
On the other hand, states such as Benue, Jigawa, Niger, Kebbi, and Bauchi made relatively small contributions, while Abia, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara recorded no activity at all.
Aviation’s Wider Economic Role
Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) emphasised the sector’s wider impact, noting that aviation contributes $1.7 billion to national GDP.
In addition, FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, highlighted that domestic airports handled over 16 million passengers, while international routes carried more than 3.5 million travellers in 2023.
In conclusion, the data underscores how a few dominant states—Abuja, Lagos, and Rivers—drive Nigeria’s air transport economy, while much of the country still struggles to establish a meaningful presence in aviation.
