The dream of Dr. Kayode Fayemi has come true as the Ekiti State Agro-Allied International Airport, Ado- Ekiti, was inaugurated for public use on 16 October, 2022 .
The first aircraft, ATR 42 Nigeria Air Force plane piloted by Flight Lieutenant E.A. Balogun, landed at the airport’s runway at 10.20am amidst cheers by guests, government officials and members of the public who were at the scene of the official inauguration.
Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who performed the official inauguration of the airport, was among the personalities on board of the aircraft from Abuja to Ekiti international AirPort .
Aviation Minister Sirika announced that the Federal Government would site a cargo facility at the airport. He described the Ekiti Airport as “an extremely very important project” which would turn facilitate import and export of goods and commodities.
The Aviation minister recalled that when he came for groundbreaking in October 2019, there were divergent views as to the viability of the project noting that airports are being used by what he called “one-city nation-states in the world” to drive their economy.
He added: “I use to make an assertion, thay one mile long road leads to nowhere but one mile runway leads to everywhere. You see, I came here today through the runway of this airport provided by Governor Fayemi. There is future with this project, market and trade can drive everybody here.
With the commissioning and landing of the first flight in Ekiti , the state has joined states in Nigeria that have functional airport to boost export of agricultural products , services, education , tourism and health institutions.
The outgoing Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, expressed satisfaction that the project eventually saw the light of the day ten years after its conception during his first administration in 2012.
Saying “My job is done, Ekiti Kete,”
Fayemi hinted that he conceived the Airport project in 2012 during his first tenure as Governor with a Committee on the Viability of the Airport led by legal luminary, Aare Babalola.
According to him, his first administration through the State Executive Council considered and approved the report submitted which was accommodated in the its plan for 2013-2015 Medium Term Sector Strategy but the plan was stopped by his exit from office after he lost the 2014 governorship election to Governor Ayodele Fayose of PDP.
He added, “Upon my assumption of office in 2018, I appointed aviation experts aend industry related officials to kickstart the implementation of the project. They made several Advocate visits to communities in order to meet the requirements for the establishment of the airport.
“The administration took the following steps: we secured the approval, the revalidation of approval from the Federal Ministry of Aviation. We also secured the Department of State Services (DSS) clearance, we paid all the necessary fees for the construction, planning and certification to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and conducting Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment.
“As a government that adheres strictly to the rule of law with unwavering respect for the rights of our people, we made several appeals to communities affected for enumeration of their farmlands to ensure commensurate monetary compensation is paid on their crops.
“To this end, a total of 669 claimants were duly compensated out of those that presented themselves for the exercise. We acquired 4,017 hectares of land from nine communities: Ago Aduloju, Aso Ayegunle, Bolorunduro, Igbogun, Araromi, Obbo, Afao, Orun, Igbemo and Ijan covering three local government areas in the state.
Dr. Fayemi said the inauguration of the airport was in fulfillment of his promise to continue to work for the people of the state who elected him to his very last day in office saying the project saw the light of the day despite the very limited resources available to the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr. Zhang Zichen, the Chairman of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC),who handled the project, showered encomium on Governor Fayemi for the vision which came true .
Mr. Zichen said the AirPort is “the engine of the economy of the state” Saying, it would open up Ekiti to more development and investment to the benefit of the state and business community.
The CCECC boss who also described the airport as a “landmark project” said it was among notable projects completed by its corporation. He also hailed the Aviation Minister for being part of history and making the airport a reality.
Shortly after the plane landed and taxied to the tarmac, the excited residents and guests took pictures of the moving aircraft which have Dr Fayemi, his wife Bisi, Minister of Aviation, Sirinka, Minister for Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo on board.
The guests were later conducted on facility tour round the terminal and other facilities at the airport
Dignitaries at the inauguration includes: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo; the wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye; Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr. Eniola Ajayi; Representatives of Ekiti in Diaspora, traditional rulers, state lawmakers and officials from the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
