The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ogun State Government have declared divergent views on the approval of the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport, located along the Ilisan-Iperu axis of Ogun State.
While the state government claimed that the airport had been certified fit for commercial operations by aviation regulatory agencies, the NCAA refuted the claim.
The state government in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Mr Lekan Adeniran, said the NCAA and Nigerian Meteorological Agency approved the facility during their inspection on Tuesday.
It claimed that the agencies praised the airport’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, describing it as “world-class” and a “source of pride for Ogun State.”
It said the agencies highlighted critical facilities, including the control tower, weather monitoring systems, runway, fire service stations, and apron, as meeting international standards. The airport was also described as one of the best in West Africa.
“There has been significant improvement in the facilities since my last visit. The infrastructure here is on par with any standard airport globally,” said Ango Mohammed, who represented the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards at the NCAA, according to the statement.
Tayo John, representing the Managing Director of NAMA, stated that their visit aimed to ensure the facilities met regulatory standards for air traffic services and safety.
“We have inspected the infrastructure, and they comply with the strict standards required for safe and efficient air traffic operations,” he stated, according to the statement.
The Senior Project Manager at Craneburg, Nicolas Mfarrej, the construction firm overseeing the project, disclosed that the airport is 98 per cent complete.
Similarly, Oluwole Adeyileka, the governor’s consultant on regulatory matters, said the visit marked the final assessment before the commencement of full commercial operations.
The Manager of Gateway International Airport, Dapo Olumide, and the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya, expressed satisfaction with the progress made.
NCAA debunks claim
But in a swift reaction, the spokesperson of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said the agency was unaware of any certification of the airport in Ogun State.
“The NCAA did not certify Ogun airport. What happened yesterday was not a certification exercise, it was an inspection of the ATC and aeronautical equipment. As per the application, they are still on step three out of five, so how could it have been certified yesterday? This is the position of the NCAA, we didn’t certify Ogun airport, thank you very much.”
