By Adeyinka Adeniran
President Bola Tinubu has approved the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola Airport, formerly known as Ibadan Airport, Alakia, Ibadan, to International facility.
The approval follows the request of the Governor Seyi Makinde to the Federal Government in his bid to change the status of the Ibadan facility to global status.
Governor Makinde made the disclosure on Wednesday while receiving the Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian AirForce (NAF), Air Marshall Hassan Baba Abubakar who paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
He maintained that the upgrade would commence in the next three weeks.
The project, according to the governor, would include the construction of a new terminal, runway and other structural features, adding that it would be handled by experts and delivered to standard.
According to the governor, his administration had spent the last five years turning around the state’s economy and had identified the need for the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport as being central to its economic expansion agenda.
He added that his government’s resolve to build infrastructure that targets the economic expansion agenda has also seen it investing resources on the 110 kilometres Ibadan Circular Road, stating that the administration would consider the Air Force’s request for land for its post-retirement housing scheme on the Circular Road corridor.
Makinde said: “Since I came into office, this administration has focused on education, agriculture, health and expansion of our economy.
“We have been talking to the Presidency and we got a response from them early this week that the President has graciously approved my request for Ibadan Airport to be upgraded.
“I will be in Abuja soon to get the documents relating to the approval. And within three weeks, we will start the project. We will expand the runway and build a new terminal.”
The governor, who appreciated the Chief of Staff for his officers’ effort in working with sister security agencies to secure Oyo State, urged that the cordial relationship between the Force and the people of the state be maintained.
He noted that the Air Force has been a major contributor to maintenance of internal security in Oyo State, as its personnel have been working closely with Operation Burst.
He equally noted that his administration has remained committed to working with the Air Force to deliver the Air Force Base in Ajia, Ibadan, stating that his promise of a speedy completion of the road that leads to the base would be kept.
He also explained that the government is fixing several roads along the Air Force Base axis that would facilitate easy movement of personnel and equipment, noting that the Ajia-Airport Road with spur to Amuloko, the Amuloko-Dagbolu-Ijebu Igbo Roads are among the roads being attended to around the axis.
Earlier in his speech, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Abubakar described the governor as a visionary leader, thanking him for his support to the Air Force.
He acknowledged the governor’s focus on economic development and enhancing security in the state, noting that the acquisition of 60 hectares of land for the Air Force Base at Ajia and the provision of security operational vehicles were commendable efforts of the governor.
Abubakar, however, urged the governor to expedite action on the ongoing 10km Ajia-Airport Road so as to ease movement of his Force’s activities, assuring that the Force would continue to support the state and also build on the mutual relationship with the state.
