The Ogun State Government has said that the ongoing construction of Gateway Agro-Cargo International Airport would be opened and ready for use before the end of the year.
The State Government also said that the airport with the four-kilometre runway would have two terminals; cargo and passengers and would ease off the pressure on the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
Speaking with some select aviation correspondents who toured the facility for an on-the-spot assessment, Mr Abdulwaheed Odusile and Mr Ade Akinsanya, Commissioners for Information & Strategy and Works & Infrastructure, Ogun State, respectively said that the government intended to make the aerodrome an aerotropolis.
According to Odusile, the conceptualisation of the project commenced under former Governor Gbenga Daniel but was regrettably abandoned by Mr Ibikunle Amosun’s administration in the state.
He, however, said that the current government of Mr Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State in April 2021 commenced the construction of the project as part of its mantra to complete every project embarked upon by the previous administrations in the state.
On completion, the commissioner said the airport would be the fastest project to be completed within 18 months.
Odusile explained that the State Government hoped to partner with private investors on some of the projects like the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, cargo processing centre and others.
He emphasised that on completion, the airport, which is sited on 5,000 hectares of land would create more jobs for the teeming youth and ensure easy distribution of cargo between the state and Nigeria on one hand and the entire world on the other hand.
He pointed out that the runway had reached 90 per cent completion, while the control tower, fire station and other facilities had reached different stages of completion.
He said: “By the grace of God, before the end of this year, aircraft will take off and land at this airport. That will be the first of its kind in the country. This airport would be the fastest-built airport in Nigeria. We started the construction of this airport from the scratch in April 2021. This airport would be an international airport in all ramifications.
“The 4km runway is almost ready, the construction of the fire station is on, the control tower and the administrative building are there and those are the essential components of an airport. Every other thing as you know is luxury and comfort.
“Even, at that, you will marvel at the architectural design of the terminal building. We are not just building an airport, we are building an aerotropolis. We are bringing different people and don’t forget, this is a specialised airport as it will be an agro-cargo airport. Though, there is another facility for passenger operations.”
Odusile stated that the project was part of the five pillars of development instituted by Abiodun, which included infrastructure, social welfare and wellbeing, education, youth empowerment and job creation and agriculture and food security.
Also speaking, Ade Akinsanya, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ogun State said that the airport is strategically located and could be assessed from six locations, which include Lagos-Sagamu, Lagos-Ibadan, Lagos-Epe expressways and others.
According to him, all the key aviation agencies like the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) were carried along at every developmental stage of the project.
He explained that the airport complied with Nigeria and international standards as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Akinsanya added that different categories of aircraft like the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 could land and take off on the runway.
He added: “We have perimeter fencing at the airport from the beginning unlike some of the airports that we have around in Nigeria. In front of the perimeter fencing, you will also have a security road on both sides for patrol. We don’t want intruders coming into the airport.
“The terminal is a kind of a hybrid of what you have in Morocco and a bit of Paris in France. It is a work of art. The same thing is also with the control tower – it is something unique.
“The only testing site approved in Africa by the Africa Developmental Bank (AfDB) will be located at a site not too far from here – Sagamu. That is one of the challenges people exporting goods out of Nigeria face because most of those goods don’t meet international standards. So, before anything goes out, it will be tested before you can export it and it is just nearby.”
