Is This Zambia's International Airport?

Visiting Zambia after eight years of absence left me unspired about the prospects of future infrastructure development in the country. I had been hearing about some interesting developments in the country and in my mind thought that the much-talked about development projects in Lusaka had been extended to the re-development of Lusaka International Airport. I sat on the left side of the plane by the window. As the British Airways plane was almost touching the runway to land, the airport came into full view. The view was depressing to realize that nothing significant had been done to uplift the image of the airport all the eight years I had been out of the country. However, some cosmetic developments have been done at the airport's main parkinglot. The parkinglot now has a ticket booth where every motorist must to stop to be robbed of their money because there is nothing worth paying for. It's almost laughable to see another rather  silly addition in which the sides of the walkway are covered with shoulder-high blue hard plastic paneling and with a roof of a similar colour. This arrangement runs the full stretch to the edge of the right of way separating the beginning of the walkway from the front of the airport terminal.

The main airport terminal remains the same. If there had been no aeroplane parked, one wouldn't even think this was an airport. The arrival walkway as you enter airport terminal is less inspiring too. You can see it was added as an afterthought that was not rendered any serious thinking. One wonders whatever is wrong with this picture. Zambian leaders are extensively travelled but they have no inclimnation to learn how other countries in the region and other developed ones have managed to put up quality airports. The Zambian airport looks no more than a train station or simply half of a shopping mall. How long will it take for Zambia to modernize the airport? It is long overdue!