Keyamo flags off Kogi airport construction

File: Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Tuesday flagged off the construction of the Kogi International Airport at Zariagi, attributing the project to President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms and the state government’s infrastructure development agenda.

Keyamo said the removal of the petrol subsidy and unification of the foreign exchange market had increased revenue allocations to state governments, providing additional financial capacity to undertake major infrastructure projects.

Speaking at the groundbreaking alongside Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, the minister argued that the airport would attract investment, improve connectivity, and open new economic opportunities for the state.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, Keyamo credited the project to a combination of federal economic policies and the governor’s development priorities.

“However, it takes two to tango. One, the positive policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the vision of the Governor. These are the two things that combined to make this thing possible today,” Keyamo said.

The minister explained that although increased federal allocations had strengthened the financial position of subnational governments, effective leadership remained necessary to translate additional revenue into infrastructure development.

He described the commencement of the airport project as a major milestone that would place Zariagi on the international aviation map.

“What is happening here today, what the Governor has done today, will resonate many, many years, centuries after today, 500 years from today. Do you understand the significance of what is happening here today?” he asked.

“Let me tell you the significance. Today, as from today, this village called Zariagi will be on the Global Aviation Map.”

Keyamo explained that airports were identified through international aviation coding systems, adding that the proposed facility would give the community greater visibility within the global aviation industry once the relevant processes were completed.

Addressing concerns about the economic justification for an international airport in Kogi, the minister maintained that major infrastructure projects could stimulate investment rather than merely respond to existing commercial activities.

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“If you are waiting for the best international companies to be here, the best international hotels to be here before you put an airport, you wait for the next one million years, it will not come,” he said.

“It is the airport that attracts these developments. The airport is the precursor. The airport is the forerunner. The airport is the indicator of development,” he added.

He expressed confidence that the facility would encourage the establishment of businesses, improve accessibility and strengthen Kogi’s participation in domestic and international trade.

The minister commended the governor for prioritising infrastructure investment and expressed optimism that the airport would contribute to the state’s long-term economic development.

The statement noted, “The Minister attributed the possibility of the project to the combination of the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ododo’s vision and determination to translate available resources into meaningful development.

“He maintained that the Federal Government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market, have increased allocations accruing to subnational governments, thereby providing states with greater fiscal capacity to undertake critical infrastructure projects.”

Also speaking, Governor Ododo described the airport as a strategic investment intended to unlock the state’s agricultural and solid mineral resources.

He explained that improved transportation infrastructure would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and mineral resources to domestic and international markets, attract investors and generate employment opportunities.

Kogi has deposits of iron ore, limestone, coal, marble, and other minerals, alongside agricultural production of cassava, rice, maize, cashew, and palm oil.

The state government expects the airport to support commercial activities, tourism and the development of logistics services, including potential cargo operations.

Following their remarks, Keyamo and Ododo performed the foundation-laying ceremony to formally commence the project.