The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has expressed confidence that Ekiti State is ready to compete with the rest of the world in agro-cargo activities.
Keyamo made the statement during a visit to the State Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport in Ado Ekiti, where he inspected the facilities and commended the quality of work done.
Keyamo, who described the airport’s runway as “world-class,” said that Ekiti’s strategic location in Western Nigeria makes it an ideal hub for agro-business.
He stated, “Ekiti should actually be the commercial hub of the Western Nigeria in terms of agro products.
This is really one of the hearts of the Western Nigeria, where a lot of agro activities happen, and we have been missing a lot of commercial activities here. But with this facility here, you can be sure that Ekiti is ready to compete with the rest of the world in terms of agro-cargo activities.”
The Minister emphasized that the airport has virtually all the facilities needed for a standard airport. However, he explained that the delay in starting commercial flight operations is part of the standard procedure to allow for non-scheduled flights first.
He said, “Well, I am here on a fact-finding mission, the Ekiti Agro-Allied Airport has been on our radar for a long time and we felt it was time for us to start operations here. What we have approved for now is for the first six months for us to conduct non-scheduled flight.
In other words, we will not have big commercial airlines coming in with plenty of passengers now but it is ready for the private jets to come in now to test the facilities here. It’s not because it is not ready, but that is actually the standard procedure all over the world, that you start with non-scheduled flight and test the facilities before bringing a lot of passengers here.”
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Keyamo expressed satisfaction with the airport’s readiness, especially the quality of its aeronautical infrastructure, stating, “I can see that the aeronautical side is absolutely ready, the aeronautical where you have runway and I’m sure you have seen the quality of the runway, this quality of the runway you see here can be compared to any runway in the world.”
Reflecting on the long-awaited airport, the Minister remarked that it was overdue, considering the significant agribusiness activities in Ekiti State. He expressed optimism that the airport would compete favorably with similar airports globally, further boosting the state’s economic potential.
Keyamo was received at the airport by key figures including the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Oyeniyi Adebayo; the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Kolawole Ajobiewe; Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun; Special Adviser, Media, Mr. Yinka Oyebode; and Technical Adviser to the Governor on Airport Project, AVM Sunday Makinde (rtd), among others.
The minister’s visit came just one week after the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) conducted a calibration of landing equipment at the airport, signaling progress toward the commencement of operations.
