Sixteen years later, the federal government issued the state government with a Certificate of Operation, and the Ogun International Cargo Airport recorded its first aircraft landings.
At the ceremony, which was held at Iperu Remo in the state’s Ikenne Local Government Area and was attended by Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika delivered the certificate to Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The airport project had been in the works for 16 years under the previous governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, but it wasn’t completed until the new governor took over.
The airport project was controversial because the former governor, Ibikunle Amosun, was putting pressure on the federal government to approve the airport project he initiated and located at Wasimi, Ewekoro local government in Ogun West. But after 16 years of the conceptualization, the airport project is becoming a reality following the completion of the 4km runway and the test flight which was a requirement for the full certification of the airport.
Two aircraft- a commercial plane CRJ900 with tail number 5N-BXS and another smaller jet, 5N-PDA.The state governor said despite the many opposition and distraction to the project, it has finally become a reality, recalling that the construction started in September 2021.
He said the test-flight was a prerequisite to the final certification of the airport, disclosing that the project would be commissioned in a couple of weeks.”This initiative is a component of an integrated development program designed to realize this great state’s full potential.
“This choice of site enables simple access from many state regions, including Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub. This place is also easily accessible from Nigeria’s Eastern and Northern regions, he added.In addition to the Kajola Dry Port becoming operational in a few months, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo claimed that the airport would transform the entire South-West into a crucial economic zone and agricultural processing zone for the nation. a few months.
