Ogun Agro-Cargo Int’l Airport To Begin Flight Operations Soon

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday, said that the state’s Agro-Cargo International Airport would commence scheduled and non-scheduled flights in the next few weeks.

The governor made the disclosure while speaking at the 13th Gateway International Trade Fair breakfast meeting with chief executive officers, captains of industry, entrepreneurs, investors and stakeholders alike, in Abeokuta.

Abiodun noted that the approval process to get the airport running has reached an advanced stage, with the approval expected in few days’ time.

According to him, the airport is located in a Special Agro Processing Zone, adding that President Bola Tinubu has approved the Special Agro Processing Zone as a Free Trade Zone.

He said: “Our newly built Gateway International Airport which will soon be commissioned, I believe as a matter of fact, this week, that airport will get an approval to begin to operate non-scheduled flights, meaning that private planes can now fly flights and 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, bring in raw materials by air into the state.

“A neighbouring country has indicated interest, taken a decision that they will not build a cargo airport in their country. They would rather drop all their agro produce from that country to Ogun State and export their produce from our airport.

“That airport is in a Special Agro Processing Zone. That zone has now been approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a Free Trade Zone, so we have another Free Trade Zone.”

Abiodun also informed that his administration would soon be flagging off the Kajola Inland Container Terminal, noting that when fully operational, the terminal would allow investors situated 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, and this we are particularly determined to see 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 demourages before bringing them by road, struggling through the bottleneck and the traffic out of Lagos.

“On completion, this 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 go to Kajola, pick up your container, process your raw materials and also have the opportunity of exporting efficiently through the same channel,” he said.

To tap from existing rail infrastructure in neighbouring state – Lagos, the governor said the state’s Red and the Blue Rail Lines would be extended to Ogun to facilitate the ease of travel of goods, people and services between the two states and the rest of the hinterland.