How many international airports are in Nigeria: List with locations

How many international airports are in Nigeria: List with locations

Air travel has come a long way, particularly in Nigeria. Nigeria has several airports operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Read on to find out how many international airports are in Nigeria.

international airports in Nigeria
Aircraft flying over runway near airport building. Photo: pexels.com, @vincentalbos
Source: UGC

Apart from airports, Nigeria also has many runways and airfields. Most of them are owned by Nigerian military forces and some oil enterprises.

How many international airports are in Nigeria?

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria boasts of having 32 airports. There are 9 international airports located in various parts of the country.

1. Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is the principal airport servicing Nigeria's capital city and was named after Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria's first president.

The airport is about 20 kilometres west of Abuja and features both an international and a domestic terminal that shares a single runway.

2. Anambra International Cargo Airport

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international airports in Nigeria
Two planes at the Anambra International airport. Photo: @uchennaumeh, @teckprostarmangeneral (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Anambra International Cargo Airport Umueri is located in Umuleri, Anambra State, at Ivite-Umueri. This is a new airport that has just begun commercial operations.

It went into full operation on December 7, 2021. It had 142 flights carrying 3,865 passengers in its first month of service.

3. Akanu Ibiam International Airport

Enugu Airport is another name for Akanu Ibiam International Airport. The airport is named after the late Akanu Ibiam, a physician and statesman from Afikpo in Ebonyi State.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) closed the airport on February 10, 2010, for the first phase of substantial restoration and expansion.

It reopened on December 16, 2010, and the second and third construction phases are still ongoing.

4. Ilorin International Airport

list of international airport in Nigeria
Planes at Ilorin International airport. Photo: @droneboy_ng, @armburuTravels (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Ilorin International Airport serves Ilorin, a city in Nigeria's Kwara State. The airport was officially opened on February 16, 1978. It is located in the Fili area of Ilorin, approximately 9 kilometres southwest of Ilorin town.

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5. Kaduna International Airport

Kaduna Airport, one of Nigeria's oldest airports, serves Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna State. The airport, which is about 22 kilometres northwest of the city, opened in 1982.

6. Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport

international airport in Nigeria
Two different planes at Mallam airport. Photo: @AzmanAir (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Kano is served by Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. Prior to the country's independence, it was a Royal Air Force station. It was named after politician Aminu Kano and contains both an international and local terminal.

7. Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Murtala Muhammed International Airport is located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and serves as the state's primary airport. The airport was built after WWII and is named after Murtala Muhammed (1938-1976), a Nigerian military leader.

8. Port Harcourt International Airport

international airport in Nigeria
A view of Port Harcourt airport. Photo: @wd_jeong (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Port Harcourt International Airport is located in Omagwa, Port Harcourt. The airport serviced 1,081,587 passengers in 2009, making it Nigeria's third busiest airport.

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9. Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport

international airports in Nigeria
A view of Sadiq airport. Photo: @sadiqabubakarIIIinternationalairport (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport, commonly known as Sultan Saddik Abubakar Airport, serves Sokoto State. It is named after the Sultan of Sokoto, Siddiq Abubakar III, who served from 1938 to 1988.

List of international airports in Nigeria

Below is a table of the international airports in Nigeria.

AirportStateCity/town served
Akanu Ibiam International AirportEnuguEnugu
Anambra International Cargo AirportAnambraUmuleri
Ilorin International AirportKwaraIlorin
Kaduna International Airport KadunaKaduna
Murtala Muhammed International AirportLagosLagos
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport KanoKano
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Federal Capital TerritoryAbuja
Port Harcourt International AirportRiversPort Harcourt
Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport SokotoSokoto

List of major domestic airports

Below is a table of major domestic airports in Nigeria.

AirportState City served
Asaba International AirportDeltaAsaba
Akwa Ibom AirportAkwa IbomUyo
Benin Airport EdoBenin
Ibadan AirportOyoIbadan
Lafia Cargo AirportNassarawaLafia
Margaret Ekpo International AirportCross RiverCalabar
Maiduguri International AirportBornoMaiduguri
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Airport BauchiBauchi
Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport ImoOwerri
Yakubu Gowon AirportPlateauJos
Yola AirportAdamawaYola

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List of airstrips in Nigeria

How many airstrips are in Nigeria? Below is a table of airstrips in Nigeria.

Airstrip StateCity served
Ajaokuta AirstripKogiAjaokuta
Azare AirstripBauchiAzare
Bacita AirstripKwaraBacita
Bajoga Northeast AirportGombeBajoga
Bebi AirstripCross RiverBebi
Bida AirstripNigerBida
Eket AirstripAkwa IbomEket
Escravos AirstripDeltaEscravos
Gusau AirstripZamfaraGusau
Nguru AirstripYobeNguru
Potiskum AirstripYobePotiskum
Shiroro AirstripNigerShiroro
Tuga AirstripKebbiTuga

Which is the first airport in Nigeria?

Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is Nigeria's oldest. It began its operations in 1936. The first aircraft to land in the country landed in Kano in 1922.

Which airport has the longest runway in Nigeria?

Murtala Muhammed International Airport has the longest runway, measuring 3900 metres (12795 feet). The airport is located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and serves as the state's primary airport.

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Which state has the biggest airport in Nigeria?

Lagos state has the biggest airport, which is Murtala Muhammed International Airport. It operates 27 airlines and serves 43 destinations. Its new terminal has a capacity of 14 million passengers per year.

What is the busiest airport in Nigeria?

Murtala Muhammed International Airport is the busiest. It has two terminals: international and cargo, which are open 24 hours a day, and domestic, which is open 16 hours a day.

How many military airports are in Nigeria?

There are four military airports in Nigeria. They are Katsina Air Force Base, Port Harcourt NAF Base, Makurdi Air Force Base, and Kaduna Air Force Base.

The above lists indicate how many international airports are in Nigeria. This article has highlighted all of the country's international airports and airstrips.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Adrianna Simwa avatar

Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com