One of the obviously worrying attitudes of Nigerians is playing politics with virtually everything including insecurity, complex economy decisions, and other key areas that require serious attention for peace and development. A case in point is the series of commentaries that have trailed the unveiling, albeit unofficially, of the Sokoto state owned Caliphate Airlines.
Though yet to be officially presented to the public or commissioned, I have read with disdain some of the criticisms that have trailed the recent viral video of Caliphate Air floated by the Sokoto state government under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, and I must confess that I am shocked that in this day and age, people could still be so shallow, so belligerent and so proud of showcasing their ignorance in the open. Not even Andrew Keen, who wrote The Cult of the Amateur, could have envisaged how terribly the internet would embolden people who, before now, maintained a dignified silence to suddenly become experts on everything.
One would have expected that the viral display of Caliphate Air should provoke conversations around economic opportunities, regional connectivity, investment, and long-term planning. Instead, much of the debate has been reduced to emotional and politically coated reactions, sweeping assumptions and the now familiar habit of condemning every government initiative before it has had the opportunity to prove itself. I understand the concerns.
Some people consider the investment a misplaced priority. Their argument is that Sokoto state has consistently ranked among Nigeria’s poorest states in multidimensional poverty, literacy, and child education. Consequently, it should not venture into commercial aviation when these social challenges have not been conclusively addressed.
Others have argued that government’s funds would have been better directed towards foundational sectors rather than the floating of an airline. They cite the aviation industry as capital-intensive and difficult to operate in Nigeria because of the high costs of aviation fuel, maintenance, insurance, foreign exchange exposure, and regulatory inconsistency.
There are also those who insist that government has no business operating airlines. They cite failed state-owned aviation projects and predict that Caliphate Air is merely another expensive venture waiting to collapse.
Curiously, however, these critics dwell almost exclusively on failed airlines while conveniently ignoring those that have survived and are profitable. It is almost as though success stories are deliberately omitted because they weaken the argument against Caliphate Air.
Then there is the group whose greatest fear is elite capture. Their apprehension is that the airline will eventually become an exclusive transport service for politicians, government officials and the wealthy. They argue that ordinary citizens will hardly benefit unless the fares are heavily subsidised.
Now, while I find the fear of elite capture a bit valid, the broader claim that the airline will not benefit the poor is based neither on sound economics nor on a proper understanding of how businesses contribute to development.
The truth is that Caliphate Air is meant to be a charity organisation. It is a business venture like other domestic airlines.
Like every serious business, its success will depend on its ability to attract paying customers, generate revenue, create employment, and stimulate economic activity. It will require pilots, engineers, cabin crew, dispatchers, ticketing officers, accountants, marketers, customer service personnel, ICT professionals, security staff, and numerous other skilled and semi-skilled workers.
These jobs will not be reserved exclusively for the rich. They will be occupied by qualified sons and daughters of Sokoto state, children of both the rich and the poor whose incomes will, in turn, support families, create demand for other goods and services, and contribute to the state’s economy.
In my mind, once an investment benefits the economy of the state, it matters little who its primary customers are, especially if the government adopts a transparent and sustainable business model that attracts people to travel by Caliphate Air; why should the rest of the state not benefit from the proceeds?
Why, for instance, shouldn’t the salaries earned by workers feed families? Why shouldn’t the taxes and profits generated support better roads? And, why shouldn’t they help build schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure?
Economies grow when money circulates, because as we know, businesses create value from where governments earn revenue for the overall benefit of citizens.
What puzzles me even more about the misplaced condemnation is the selective outrage. Why, for instance, should Ibom Air, owned by Akwa Ibom state government, continue to thrive, earning a respectable reputation within Nigeria’s aviation industry, while some people expect Caliphate Airlines to fail? The last time I checked, Akwa Ibom had not solved all its social and economic challenges before venturing into aviation.
Like every other state, it still contends with unemployment, infrastructure deficits, and social needs. Yet, no one argues that the existence of those challenges should have prevented the state from floating an airline.
The reason the people of Akwa Ibom are not crying, like some of us, is that they understand that businesses are established to identify opportunities, meet market demands, and generate value.
Most importantly, they believe that government, too, can invest in commercially viable ventures provided they are professionally managed, insulated from political interference, and subjected to proper corporate governance.
When former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano state was busy using the state’s funds to sponsor indigenes abroad to study science related courses, including aviation and aeronautics, several of the same naysayers took to social media to criticise him. But today, the same people are celebrating the success of the scheme and applauding the foresight of Kwankwaso.
Interestingly, among all the critics of Caliphate Air, I am yet to meet anyone who has convincingly argued that the airline will struggle to find passengers. That, to me, is perhaps the most important question.
Is there a market? If the answer is yes, and even the critics appear to concede that there is a ready regional market for the airline, then how could anyone think that it will fail? I believe, instead of condemnation, we should be applauding Governor Ahmed Aliyu for having the foresight to identify and pursue a viable business opportunity.
Every successful enterprise begins with someone willing to take a calculated risk. If everyone waited until every social problem had been solved before making investments, no economy will ever grow.
Development is not sequential in the simplistic manner some critics suggest. As the popular Chinese saying goes, nations prepare for war in peace times.
Government must simultaneously improve infrastructure, strengthen healthcare, invest in education, and create economic opportunities. These are not mutually exclusive responsibilities.
As a matter of fact, the Aliyu administration has not abandoned these sectors. Road projects have continued across the state. Schools are receiving attention. Healthcare has witnessed notable interventions, with stakeholders within the health sector acknowledging the gradual improvements being recorded in access to medical services.
Whether one believes these efforts are sufficient is another debate entirely. But to suggest that the government has ignored every other sector simply because it floated an airline is not true.
Seriously, if presented with an option – a government that invests in a profitable venture and one that allows looting of public funds – which should any reasonable person prefer?
The answer is straightforward. I would rather see public money invested in productive assets than vanish through waste and looting that have become far too common across Nigeria.
That does not mean Caliphate Air cannot be d, far from it. The airline must be professionally managed. It must publish transparent accounts. It must recruit on merit. It must resist political interference. It must compete fairly and remain commercially disciplined. Those are legitimate expectations. But condemning the idea before it even leaves the runway serves no useful purpose.
That is why I call on the good people of Sokoto state not to allow a few armchair critics to rewrite the full import of Caliphate Air or reduce it to a simplistic argument of the poor versus the rich.
The wealthy people of Sokoto and the wider North-west will continue to fly regardless. The only question we should concern ourselves with is: whose airline will they patronise? If they are going to spend money on air travel wouldn’t it be better for a significant portion of that money to remain within a state-owned enterprise whose success could ultimately benefit the people of Sokoto?
Rather than wish the airline to fail, let us focus on how to make it succeed. Let us ask the hard questions about governance, management, accountability, and profitability.
I am confident that the Sokoto state government did not venture into this business without a plan. Of course, only time will judge the quality of that plan. Yet, there are success stories within Nigeria’s aviation industry from which valuable lessons can be drawn.
This is why Caliphate Air deserves that same opportunity to succeed or fail based only on economic terms and not some fears of people who neither understand the aviation sector or fully appreciate the knock-on effects of aviation income on the state’s economy.
Kera, a journalist, writes from Abuja.