Allen Onyema Alleges Igbo Land Withholding Blocked $Multi-Billion MRO Project, Lagos Chosen by Default
In a recent public address, Chief Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, has asserted that efforts to locate a major Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria’s South-East were stymied not by circumstance alone, but by deliberate non-cooperation from some communities in that region. Consequently, the establishment of this vital facility will now proceed in Lagos. Onyema’s comments have ignited fresh debate about land tenure, development priorities, and regional cooperation within Nigeria. This post delves into those claims, the facts as they stand, and what this means for aviation infrastructure and regional development.
What Was Announced
The Nigerian Federal Government recently flagged off the construction of a cutting-edge MRO facility at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, presided over the ceremony.
Once operational, this facility is expected to substantially reduce the need for Nigerian airlines, the presidential fleet, and the Nigeria Air Force to send aircraft overseas for major maintenance. Onyema has estimated that this could save the country approximately ₦360 billion in foreign exchange annually, with Air Peace alone currently spending around ₦180 billion per annum on such maintenance abroad.
The facility will be built on a land area of about 34,000 square metres at Lagos Airport and is projected to generate roughly 50,000 jobs. It is also intended to attract airlines from West and Central Africa to use the facility for their maintenance needs, thus enhancing the domestic aviation sector’s competitiveness and contributing to foreign exchange inflows.
Onyema’s Claims: Why the South-East Didn’t Host the Facility
According to Onyema, there were concrete efforts to site the MRO facility in Enugu or Anambra states. He says he engaged actively with both state governments and local families. However, he alleges that:
In Enugu, after initial approvals, meetings, and governmental cooperation, land that was expected to be allocated for the project could not be secured due to disputes over land ownership and internal claims by various families. Onyema claims these claims were at times contrary to what government had promised.
In Anambra, Onyema says he even purchased land (costing over ₦100 million) in anticipation of the project. But again, conflicting ownership claims from local communities and families emerged, asserting that the State government had no right to allocate the land without their permission. This, he alleges, made it impossible to proceed there.
Because of these impediments, Onyema says he moved on, choosing Lagos where the land was clearly available. He insists the decision was not a neglect of his people or home territory, but a result of being blocked from doing what he had planned.
Reactions & Underlying Issues
The controversy taps into deeper questions of land ownership norms in South-East Nigeria, including traditional family/family head vs. state claims, and tensions between customary land rights and government allocation powers.
Onyema has used his platform to call for what he terms a moment of “self-examination” among Igbo people. He urges that before attributing failures to external entities, individuals and families look at whether internal conflicts and claims are partly responsible.
Others, however, have reacted critically, arguing that these are serious accusations requiring verifiable documentation: land titles, survey plans, state government gazettes, etc. Some have also questioned whether political or bureaucratic inertia might also play a role, beyond just “families” or “communities.”
Implications & What This Means Going Forward
1. Boost for Nigerian Aviation Sector
The establishment of the MRO facility in Lagos is likely to reduce foreign maintenance costs meaningfully and retain aviation-related value within the country. As Onyema pointed out, hundreds of billions in foreign exchange could be saved annually, plus efficient turnaround for aircraft that no longer need to wait on foreign maintenance timelines.
2. Job Creation and Local Economic Impact
It is expected that 50,000 jobs will be created in and around the facility, including technical, managerial, administrative, and auxiliary roles. This has implications for skills development in aeronautics and related fields in Lagos, which may also spill over to other parts of Nigeria.
3. Land Governance in South-East Nigeria under Spotlight
Onyema’s claims raise critical issues: how land is held, how willing local power structures are to cooperate with state and private sector investors, and how transparency in claims and ownership can be improved. Communities in Enugu/Anambra may need to address land claim disputes more proactively if future large projects are to be located there.
4. National Integration and Regional Equity
When one region is continually bypassed for infrastructural investments, especially those touted as national assets, there tends to be resentments and perceptions of marginalization. Onyema’s message may resonate strongly among Igbos, possibly pressuring state governments to reform land allocation systems to attract investors.
Chief Allen Onyema’s allegations highlight one of Nigeria’s recurring challenges: ensuring land availability, clarity of ownership, and community cooperation are in place before large infrastructure projects can succeed. While Lagos has become the base for the MRO facility by default, according to Onyema, the South-East’s inability to resolve land disputes and provide clear land titles may have cost it a major economic opportunity. For Nigeria as a whole, resolving such land governance challenges will be vital if infrastructural development, economic growth, and regional equity are to advance meaningfully.
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