Kayemo news reports that almost a year after commissioning, the Ekiti State International Cargo Airport has remained under lock and key, despite huge investments in the project.
The idea of an airport for Ekiti was conceived during former governor Segun Oni’s tenure between 2007 and 2010. Then the Minister for Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba was an Ekiti indigene. However, the project could not commence for some reasons including the controversies surrounding the location, the inability to get needed clearance and the needed finance to kick start the project. Omotoba being a politician was eager to get the project on stream to boost his popularity in the state but he didn’t stay long enough in the government to realize his dream. He was replaced when former President Goodluck Jonathan took over after the demise of Umar Yar’Adua who appointed him.
Dr Kayode Fayemi was putting finishing touches on the preliminary paperwork and getting clearance for the commencement of the airport sitting on a 5,000-hectare of land along the Ado-Ijan road before he lost election in 2014. His ambition to see the project take off was therefore truncated once again.
During the tenure of Mr Ayodele Fayose between 2014 to 2018, he took the airport project a little further by not only securing certificate of clearance to commence the project, he actually cleared the land but the farmers who are the owners of the land protested bitterly saying that they were not adequately compensated. They proceed to court to obtain an injunction to stop the government. Many observers believed that like the Biblical hands of Esau and Voice of Jacob, it was the All Progressives Congress (APC) that was orchestrating the farmers’ resistance to sabotage Fayose.
Judging by the nature of an airport project and the humongous resources required to complete it, many people have doubted that if given the resources at the state’s disposal, the project may be a pipe dream. It needed to be stressed that sources in government circles even said that the World Bank which was originally billed to partner the state government, backed off, yet the project didn’t stop.
On how the airport project was conceived and constructed, Fayemi said, “ Ekiti International Agro-Allied Cargo and Passenger Airport is a dream come true, not only for this administration, but also for Ekiti-kete and for the yet unborn generation. The idea of having a functional and desirable Airport in Ekiti State dates back to April 12, 2010 when the then administration of Engineer Segun Oni communicated its intention to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. The project could not take off for some avoidable bottlenecks.
“Upon assumption of office in 2018, I met this obstacle but immediately dealt with it directly by appointing Aviation industry personnel to drive our vision of a viable Airport project for Ekiti State. Afterwards, the Airport project began and was purpose-built to an excellent standard. Though projected to be an Agro-Based Cargo airport, this does not foreclose commercial passenger operations. The Airport boasts a CAT-9 4E category with capacity for wide bodied Aircraft like Boeing 747-400 and a runway length of 3.2km.
“This airport will open Ekiti to the world and stimulate the growth of other sectors such as tourism, agriculture and commerce. There are also medical tourist opportunities using the world-class facilities at Afe Babalola University. Ekiti Agro-Cargo Airport will complement the Murtala Mohammed International airport in Lagos in service, most especially the agro-dominated South Western region of Nigeria.
“This is in addition to increased economic activities through provision of employment by annexing the commercial draw down values associated with air transportation. Despite the lean resources of the state, with prudence and natural endowment, the oak has sprung up in the desert. Ekiti has been well positioned on the Aviation world Map with this vision. I welcome you all to Ekiti Agro-Cargo International Airport, Ado-Ekiti. Certainly, a dream has come true”
When the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika alongside Governor Kayode Fayemi were turning the sod for the construction of the Airport which and unconfirmed source put the cost at about N17 billion in October 2019, many people at the ceremony expressed reservations about the viability of the project considering the economy status of the state and the proximity of the state to the Akure airport, which many considered as underutilized.
But, Sirika had said an airport project is globally recognized as a catalyst for growth and development, adding that the one in Ekiti will not be an exemption, especially for being specially fashioned to play dual roles in air transportation.
He said, “Airport project brings businesses and drives the economy. It employs and strengthens the economy, so we are going to make this project a success. The federal government will support everything about this project, particularly the cargo aspect of it because the good atmospheric condition of Ekiti and the lurching vegetation and good soil will help to produce farm products that can be exported within and outside the country.
“The per capita income for Ekiti shows how viable the state is economically. So the siting of an airport is not by size alone, but by viability. Apart from this, Ekiti is 750 feet above sea level and in the aviation industry; it is believed that this will help to produce good oxygen for airplanes to perform optimally. The federal government is ready to support this project and it shall be a success.”
Three years later, the airport project came to life with the completion of the runway approximately put at 3.2 kilometers in length and the terminal building. The road leading to the place has also been constructed.
Even though airport project is far from being completed according to aviation sources, given the enormity of work that is still needed to be done,, the Fayemi administration has laid a solid foundation for governor, Biodun Oyebanji to continue the construction and putting the finishing touches towards making it a virile and functional airport.
Although, some school of thought in the state were of the opinion that commissioning an airport that was uncompleted was height of deceit, others are of the view that Fayemi did the commissioning because he didn’t want another government to take the glory of his efforts at seen the airport cited in Ekiti soil.
There are others who see the construction of the airport as one of the many white elephant projects that now litter the state. According to them, the Akure airport which is not far from Ekiti has been underutilized. What was more, they opined that the humongous resources channeled to the construction of an airport could be channeled into an agric value chain project that can take many youths off the street by providing them jobs.
But to Governor Fayemi, the vision and the struggle for the state to have an airport predated his administration but he rallied stakeholders within and outside the state to have the project commenced in the state. He explained that the importance of the project to the economy of the state cannot be overemphasized , especially with the comparative advantage of the state in the agriculture sector and the proximity to the iconic Afe Babalola University and its multi-system hospital which would bring about medical tourism to the state,
On his part, a former aide to Fayemi on infrastructure who was parts and parcel of the struggle to see that the airport project come on stream, Sunday Adunmo boasted that the airport would turn Ekiti to agricultural hub of the country in no distant time in view of the administration’s investment in the sector in the last four years.
Adunmo said, “We are looking at Ekiti as the agricultural hub of Nigeria. Look at the investment of the government in agriculture and that is why we constructed the airport. We are looking at how we will move out all our agricultural produce because if we are investing heavily on agriculture, then you must look at how to move those goods out, that is the purpose.
“We want to feed the south west and even the nation through our produce. We have an airport that will serve its benefits, it is called an agro-allied airport, it is different from the conventional airport like we have in Akure. We are making Ekiti through the airport agricultural hub in Nigeria. “
This was what the government spokesman said recently on the Airport project
Explaining why the airport has not been put to use, the government said that operational facilities and equipments are still not available in the Cargo Airport commissioned October last year.
The Special Adviser to Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti state on budget, economic planning and performance management, Niyi Adebayo explained that as of now, only military aircrafts could land in the airport, noting that the control tower, passengers terminal and runway were yet to be fully completed.
Fielding questions from newsmen on the condition of the airport, the special adviser said, “ We can only land the military aircraft because we don’t have the full work of navigational aids.
“The military aircraft can land themselves with little or no air from control tower. So, we need to have a functional control tower, build a new terminal where passengers can wait to board plane. So, those are the expenditure we need in the new year; but the runway is very good.
“ And of course, we need to provide necessary lighting infrastructures, so that planes can land in the evening, even daytime when you have foggy situation because light help the pilot to see the runway better.So, those are the areas where expenditure need to go into.”
“ We are trying to ensure when the airport comes on stream is actually useful to ensure the airport serves us well with minimal disruption to fly
However, almost a year after it was commissioned, nothing spectacular has happened to suggest that the airport will come on stream very soon.
Many are even concern about the interest being incurred on the loan taken by the state government to construct the airport. Some residents urged the government to expedite action on the project and bring it to fruition.
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