The Ogun State Agro-cargo International Airport will begin scheduled and non-scheduled flights in the next few weeks.
The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, made this known on Tuesday while speaking at the 13th Gateway International Trade Fair breakfast meeting with chief executive officers, captains of industry, entrepreneurs, investors and stakeholders in Abeokuta.
He noted that the approval process to get the airport running had reached an advanced stage, with the approval expected in a few days’ time.
He also disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the Special Agro Processing Zone as a Free Trade Zone.
“Our newly built Gateway International Airport, which will soon be commissioned, possibly this week, will get approval to begin to operate non-scheduled flights. This means that private planes can now come to that airport, just like they go to any other airport.
“I believe within the next two weeks or less, we will also get the approval for scheduled flights to begin to operate out of that airport. That means you can attend to your business, and bring in raw materials by air into the state,” he told the gathering.
Mr Abiodun hinted that a neighbouring country had indicated interest, and made a decision that they will not build a cargo airport in their country.
He said that the country decided it would rather drop all its agro produce at the cargo airport in Ogun State and export the produce from there.
The governor disclosed that his administration would soon be flagging off the Kajola Inland Container Terminal, adding that when fully operational, the terminal would afford investors within the state an opportunity to pick up their containers, process their raw materials and also export their goods efficiently.
“We will soon be flagging off the Kajola Inland Container Terminal, called a dry port. We are particularly determined to see this through because we understand the plight of most of you. What you have to go through by importing your raw materials into Tin Can or Apapa and incurring unnecessary expense in demurrages before bringing them by road, struggling through the bottlenecks and the traffic out of Lagos.
“On completion, the Kajola Inland terminal dry port will serve your purposes, meaning that you can now ship your goods from anywhere in the world, destined to Kajola and just pick up your container, process your raw materials and also have the opportunity of exporting efficiently through the same channel,” he said.
Mr Abiodun noted that the Lagos State’s Red and Blue Rail Lines would be extended to Ogun State to facilitate the ease of travel of goods, people and services between the two states and the rest of the hinterland.
Speaking on the Agbara-Atan-Lusada road, he said that his administration was irrevocably committed to the completion of the road, assuring that contractors will soon be fully mobilised back to site.
Mr Abiodun further revealed that his administration was also committed to rehabilitating internal roads within Agbara, and was working to partner with the investors in the axis.
He appealed to investors to stop buying land from family members and speculators to avoid paying twice, as all the lands in the state belonged to the state government.
In his welcome address, Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Adebola Sofela, disclosed that the meeting was meant to foster cordial relationships between the government and the private sector.
He added that the gathering would provide an opportunity for the state government to inform private sector players about the policies of the government.
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In his remarks, the Zonal Director, Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Lawal Hassan, noted that Ogun State was fast becoming the first choice for investors because of the conducive business environment made possible by the reforms of Mr Abiodun.
On his part, the Group Managing Director, Flour Mills, Boye Olusanya, noted that improvement in the state’s infrastructure had brought manufacturers into the state.
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