Tinubu approves upgrade of Ibadan airport

President Bola Tinubu has approved the move to upgrade the Ibadan Domestic Airport, Alakia, to an international airport.

This development was made known by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday in Ibadan.

“The President has graciously approved my request for the upgrade of Ibadan Airport to an international airport,” Mr Makinde said in a short video clip making the rounds on social media.

According to Mr Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Segun Dada, the Ibadan airport had never been upgraded since it was built in 1982, and it is expected to be upgraded with modern facilities because of the state’s potential to attract economic development.

“This, in turn, will catalyse the GDP growth of the region and country,” Mr Dada said.

Prospects and ongoing efforts

In his newsletter on Thursday, Mr Makinde explained that upon completion of the airport upgrade, which will include the expansion and extension of the runway and the general upgrade of the facilities, the state will begin to receive international flights from anywhere in the world into Ibadan.

“This is not a hasty decision. Neither are we simply trying to start a project because others are doing the same. This is a well-thought-out decision based on data, science and logic,” the governor said.

Mr Makinde noted that the government has completed the 500,000-litre aviation fuel storage and dispensing facility, which has been concessioned to Bovas Group.

“We have also upgraded part of the facilities at the airport, which led to new airlines like Green Africa and Air Peace including Ibadan in their flight schedules,” the governor said.

“It is a fact of history that Ibadan is a nodal city, where traders arrived with their caravans. I always remember this when I think of the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam with their byline “See, Buy, Fly”,” the governor explained.