AVIATION

Mixed reactions trail status of Ekiti agro-allied airport

TWO years after the Ekiti State agro-allied international airport was commissioned under the administration of former governor Kayode Fayemi, key players in the sector are of the opinion that the airport may join the endless lists of unviable airports scattered all over the country.

Presently, the airport that was commissioned uncompleted at the tale end of Fayemi’s administration, flight activities are yet to effectively take off.

The construction of the airport which gulped a whopping N20 billion of public funds has become a cause of concerns to key players who have argued that the airport project has not added economic or commercial value to the state.

Speaking on the controversial Ekiti airport, the Director, Zenith Travels, Mr Olumide Ohunayo inferred how the state government never considered the financial implication entailed in constructing such an airport for the state.

Ohunayo who traced the the idea of an airport for Ekiti State to Mr. Babatunde Omotoba, as the then minister aviation in 2007, recalled how he had attempted to site the project in Iyin Ekiti, his village.

According to him: “So, what passengers would the Ekiti Airport look for? What are the researches on agricultural and other cash produce that are available as cargo for transportation to other parts of Nigeria or for export from Ekiti and the other states agitating for cargo airports?”l

In his comments, an aviation analyst, Mr Oluwole Adebiyi, queried the construction of such airport in Ekiti, a neighbouring state to Ondo, which he said already had an airport.

According to him, rather than embarked on an airport project, the state government should have developed a multimodal form of transport in the state that would connect it to other states especially Ondo for final transportation of agric produce to their final destinations.

“What are the economic drivers of a cargo airport for Ekiti State and how much disposal income do Ekiti passengers have to justify the immense investment? Why not develop multi-modal means of transportation and leverage on proximity to Akure. I hear it’s within five to 10 nautical miles”, he declared.

Meanwhile, as part of measures to ensure a seamless takeoff of the airport, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ekiti State Government.

According to the managing director of NAMA, Mr Farouk Umar, the MoU between the agency and Ekiti State outlined a joint responsibility, expectation and standard for air traffic control services even as he said that the agreement served as a foundation for a partnership between NAMA and the Ekiti State Government.

In her remarks, the Secretary to Ekiti State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro who represented the state governor, noted that the event marked a crucial moment as the state advanced towards enhancing the safety, efficiency, and reliability of airspace and air traffic management.

While assuring that the airport was on the verge of full operation, Adubiaro expressed optimism that the establishment of the cargo airport would boost tourism, facilitate smoother and safer air travel and subsequently contribute to economic growth, job creation and improved connectivity for Ekiti State citizens.

Shola Adekola