Senator Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation and the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Saturday, inaugurated the Ekiti State Agro-Allied passenger International Airport.
The airport is the last project to be inaugurated by Fayemi’s administration before his handing over to the Ekiti Governor-elect, Biodun Oyebanji, on October 16, 2022.
The Air-Force Aircraft 930 conveying the Minister alongside his entourage landed at the Airport at exactly 10:20am and the inauguration of the Airport began.
Sirika disclosed that the Federal Government would site a cargo facility at the airport and that the Ekiti Airport was “an extremely very important project” which would facilitate the import and export of goods, commodities and drive the state economy.
He said; “I was at ABUAD, I saw the University, the farm, the industrial park and the hospital. If there is an airport here, it will connect people to this facility and reduce foreign medical tourism. Airports are by no means the best catalysts for economic growth of any state or Nation.’’
“Thirty-five per cent of global trade by value is moved through airports and $18.6 billion of cargo is moved daily through air transportation. The wealthy among you should take to agriculture for example and begin to produce things that you will export to other parts of the world.’’
“You can be land-locked, but you cannot be sky-locked. We can all see the importance of having a facility like this. Thank you Mr Governor, you have provided this facility for the people of Ekiti State; they should own it, they should own it.”
Fayemi, who on the last day of his administraion, expressed satisfaction with the success of the project 10 years after its conception in 2012. He said; “My job is done, Ekiti Kete”.