Ogun International Agro Cargo Airport ready soon

Ogun International Agro Cargo Airport ready soon

Fifteen years after the project was mooted, Ogun State International Agro Cargo Airport in Ilasan Remo will be completed before the end of the year, Commissioner for Works & Infrastructure Ade Akinsanya has assured.

Describing the project as a Class E Airport, the Commissioner said the four-kilometer runway has attained about 90 percent completion.

He said work on the runway will be completed before the end of this month.

He said the strategic location of the airport as its unique selling point will also drive its status as an aerotropolis – an airport city.

He said the Federal government and its agencies were already seeking buy-in into the project.

He said the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Customs Service and other agencies are looking at investment windows for the project.

Speaking on the project scope, the commissioner said it will accommodate two terminals for passengers/ cargo operations.

Also speaking during a tour of the airport, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Abdulwaheed Odusile, said the specialised airport has secured approvals/certifications from relevant aviation agencies including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) ,Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN ) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Odusole said the Gateway International Agro Cargo Airport is the fastest sea transport infrastructure to be put together in Nigeria.

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 and we started in April 2021. This airport would be an international airport in all ramifications.

“The four -kilometre runway is almost ready, the construction of the fire station is on, the control tower and the administrative building is there and those are the essential components of an airport. Every other thing as you know is luxury and comfort.

“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.

Corroborating him, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya said the location is strategic as there are six access points for ease of users.

He said :” For this airport, you can access it through six locations; Lagos-Sagamu, Lagos-Ibadan, Lagos-Epe. I don’t think any airport can rival it anywhere within this country and the facility is unique.

“The standards we are meeting are world class. 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 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.

‘’We have two separate terminal buildings for the airport; cargo and passenger. At any time, the apron can accommodate four aircraft of Boeing 777 aircraft. It can take two wide-body and two Boeing 737 models.

“The airport will have a testing site for agricultural produce.

The only testing site approved in Africa by the 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 the international standard. So, before anything goes out, it will be tested before you can export.

“The state is not in the business of doing all those things. We are going to have private investors to invest in the airport project. Already, there are lots of enquiries. Even, the federal government is interested. The state government will provide private investors with the facilities to grow their businesses. That is why it is an aerotropolis.

“Right now, we are at about 90 per cent completion for the runway and the runway would be completed by the end of July.’’