By David Adeoye
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has inaugurated the Ladoke Akintola Airport upgrading project in Ibadan to an international airport.
He described the airport project as a critical investment in the state’s long-term prosperity and sustainable growth.
Makinde, accompanied at the event by his Osun counterpart, Governor Ademola Adeleke, said the project would open up Oyo State to the global market upon its completion.
According to him, the project, which will cost N41bn, is not for show but a strategic investment that must be delivered on time.
“It will improve the means of doing business, bring investment into agribusiness, manufacturing, and technology sectors, and position Ibadan as a true regional business hub,” he said.
The governor appreciated President Bola Tinubu for graciously approving the upgrading of the airport, which, he said, would be completed within 12 months.
“Though the completion period is 18 months, I will push the contractor to fast-track the completion of the project,” he said.
In his remarks, the Osun governor commended the Tinubu-led administration for holistically expanding the nation’s economy through aviation.
Adeleke commended Makinde for the vision, saying it would, in no small way, widen the economic net of Ibadan and the South West in general.
The acting airport manager, Mr Francis Balogun, affirmed that the upgrade would enhance the state’s economic growth and the nation’s as a whole.
Balogun said Makinde had conceived the vision to transform the airport into a world-class facility for over five years, tirelessly unveiling it in layers.
“It started from the construction of a protocol lounge to the procurement of a fire tender, the dualisation of the airport access road, and the construction of an aviation fuel station,” he said.
Craneburg Construction Company is handling the project.
