Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde on Wednesday performed the groundbreaking of the Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, upgrading project to an international airport.
He described the airport project as a critical investment for the long-term prosperity of the state and its sustainable growth.
Makinde, accompanied at the event by his Osun counterpart, Gov. Ademola Adeleke, said the project would open up Oyo State to the global market upon its completion.
According to him, the project, to cost N41 billion, is not for show but a strategic investment to be delivered on time.
“It will improve the means of doing business, bring investment into agribusiness, manufacturing and technology sectors, and position Ibadan as a true regional business hub,” he said.
The governor appreciated President Bola Tinubu for graciously approving the upgrading of the airport, which, he said, would be completed within 12 months.
“Though the completion period is 18 months, I will push the contractor to fast-track the completion of the project,” he said.
In his remarks, the Osun governor commended the Tinubu-led administration for holistically expanding the nation’s economy through aviation.
Adeleke commended Makinde for the vision, saying it would in no small way widen the economic net of Ibadan and the South-West in general.
The acting Manager of the airport, Mr Francis Balogun, affirmed that the upgrade would enhance the state’s economic growth and the nation as a whole.
Balogun said Makinde had conceived the vision to transform the airport into a world-class facility for over five years; tirelessly unveiling it in layers.
“It started from the construction of a protocol lounge to the procurement of a fire tender; the dualisation of the airport access road and the construction of an aviation fuel station,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is being handled by Craneburg Construction Company. (NAN)