Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday officially inaugurated the first commercial flight at Gateway International Airport, Ilishan Remo, marking a milestone in the state’s transport infrastructure. The Valuejet aircraft, carrying 90 passengers, departed for Abuja at 10:10 a.m.
The governor, speaking at the airport along Iperu-Ilisan Road in Ikenne Local Government Area, said the project, which began in 2021, reflects his administration’s vision to provide a modern, well-integrated transport system.
Speaking at the airport located along the Iperu-Ilisan road in the Ikenne Local Government Area of the State, the governor said the journey to actualise the airport started in 2021 and was part of the vision to provide a well-modeled transport system for the State.
He said: “I am glad to be here today to actually witness the inaugural flight of a commercial aircraft taking off from Ogun State; this is not like AI, this is real. Commercial operations are starting from Ogun State in the lifetime of an administration.
“We came here in 2021; some people said it was just a photo op, they said it was just politics, they mocked us, and they said this place is nothing but a dump site. Some even said that we were going to use this place as a cattle ranch.
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“Some others had this airport built on a powerpoint, but again, we are here today, and we have seen what can be achieved when there is vision, when there is collective vision, inclusive vision, inclusive participation, and when there is passion and diligence.
“We began to construct in late 2021; in February 2023, this same Valuejet was the first plane to land on this runway; it was a test flight of our runway. Building an airport is one thing; having an airport become operational is a totally different thing because it is a very highly regulated industry.”
Governor Abiodun emphasised that his administration was determined to have the best-constructed, equipped, and befitting airport for the state, noting that apart from being the industrial capital of the nation, the State is blessed with a population, making it the fastest-growing economy in Nigeria today.
The administration’s vision, Governor Abiodun maintained, is supported by several business cases, adding that the airport is situated in an Aerotropolis, with many companies springing up, just as the biggest textile plant in the world and the Nigeria Customs Village are sited around the airport.
“It speaks for itself; more people are coming to live, work, and play in Ogun State, so this airport makes sense; it ticks the box of our multimodal transport master plan where we connect roads to rail to air, and soon, we will be connected to the sea,” Mr Abiodun added.
He appreciated regulators in the aviation sector, especially the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Minister of Aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo, for providing quality supervision for the airport.
He emphasized that the airport is part of a broader multimodal transport master plan connecting roads, rail, air, and eventually, the sea. Abiodun noted that the airport is located in an Aerotropolis with major industrial investments nearby, including the world’s largest textile plant and the Nigeria Customs Village.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, praised the project, noting that it would open a “window to the outside world” and reduce travel inconvenience for residents who previously had to rely on Lagos airports. Similarly, Hon. Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka, representing Imeko-Afon-Yewa North in the House of Representatives, urged industrialists to leverage the economic opportunities the airport presents.
Officials from the aviation sector, including NCAA Director General Captain Chris Ona-Najomo and NAMA Managing Director Farouk Umar, commended the state government for meeting regulatory requirements and expressed support for future expansion, including international flights.
Governor Abiodun concluded that the airport is a product of vision, inclusive participation, and diligence, promising that Ogun State will continue to build world-class infrastructure to support its status as Nigeria’s fastest-growing economy.
Speaking in an interview, the Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide, noted that the airport is in tandem with the dreams of the State’s founding fathers and would serve as a window to the outside world.
“I give it to the governor. This place was a refuse dump, but now it is the site of a world-class airport. I feel happy; I feel on top of the world. There will be economic gains, and there will be comfort, as it will reduce the hassle of going to Lagos to travel by air,” the Speaker said.
On his part, the member representing Imeko-Afon-Yewa North at the House of Representatives, Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka, expressed delight that the airport has finally come to stay, enjoining industrialists to take advantage and leverage their businesses while soliciting people’s support for the project.