Ogun State’s agrocargo airport on Thursday witnessed the historic official landing of its maiden test flights.
A Challenger aircraft was the first to land at 2.15 pm to the excitement of the Ogun people after which Valuejet’s CRJ 900 airplane landed at the airport by 3.15 pm on Thursday.
The Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport at Iperu-Ilishan Road, Ikene local government in Ogun State was a project conceived 16 years ago by Gbenga Daniel, former Governor but construction was delayed until 2021 when Dapo Abiodun Ogun State Governor, started the airport construction .
Speaking at the event, Yemi Osinbajo, vice-president expressed excitement over the project, stressing that the airport is built to international standards and big aircraft could land and take off from in the runway.
The vice president assured that the airports would help to fast track development of the state.
Kunle Soname, the ValueJet chairman, during his remarks said he hails from Ikenne, the same local government as Osinbajo, Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and Gbenga Daniel who is also an Ijebu.
Soname on his part said, “We are partners for this project. It is a dream come true. The first commercial flight into this airport is our flight. This is a four-kilometer runway designed to land A B747, B777, A380, and other wide-body aircraft”.
Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State Governor, explained that the Gateway International Agro Cargo Airport is a mega project conceptualized by the his administration in Ogun State to create needed infrastructure to boost exportation of agricultural and non-agricultural goods on one hand and on the other hand, to further reinvigorate socio-economic activities which in the long run is capable of increasing revenue generation drive of the State.
Abiodun said the full construction of the project was taken up by the administration in April 2021.
He explained that the idea of the state having an airport on this location was first mooted by Gbenga Daniel administration in 2007, but did not see the light of the day until when the he started to build it from the scratch.
With doggedness, he said the administration deemed it fit and came all out to positively impact the state with the agro cargo and passenger airport which is built in conformity with the world class standard features on runways, control tower, terminal building, administrative block, and fire station among others.
Read also: Abiodun: Ogun Agro Cargo Airport to be ready November
The cargo airport was designed to be an aerotropolis as it is provided with components such as a special agro processing zone to process raw agricultural material for exports, an international Testing Centre to certify that agro-produce comply with international standards before they are exported, facility for passenger operations as well as facilities to receive parcels coming into Nigeria that are to be redistributed to other parts of Nigeria.
The governor said already some agencies of the Federal Government including the Nigeria Air Force and the Nigeria Customs Service as well as many other private investors have indicated interest to be part of the Airport project which is an important component of Ogun State’s transportation masterplan expected not only to connect rail, road and water transportation, but also decongest the Lagos airport.
The event was attended by crowd of party supporters, top dignitaries comprising Yemi Osinbajo,Vice-President former Governors Olusegun Osoba, Daniel, Dimeji Bankole, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hadi Sirika, Aviation Minister, Kunle Soname, Chairman of ValueJet, and traditional rulers including the Akarigbo of Remonland Awujale of Ijebu, represented by the Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo among others.
