Olumide: Three firms express interest in Ogun Airport concession

• Aerodrome project 95% completed

He disclosed that three companies that have expressed interest in the concession of the airport.

He noted that the aerotropolis which is expected to have various international aviation is seeing companies jostle for concessional operations.

The airport, which was located along Iperu-Ilishan road in the Ikenne Local Government area of the state was conceptualized as an aerotropolis, based on its strategic location, being contiguous to the nation’s commercial capital of Lagos.

Speaking during a tour of the facility on Monday, Olumide said, “But, you know, the concession has to be clarified. A lot of people don’t understand what concessioning is. Like when you hear about Lagos being concessioned, Lagos is not being concessioned. The terminal building is being concessioned, not the airport. The runway will always remain with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).”

“The taxiways will always remain FAAN. But the concession of operations of the terminal building will be concessioned. Same thing here. We are concessioning the infrastructure of the airport. This is slightly different from Lagos in the sense that this is primarily an aerotropolis. And because it is an aerotropolis that makes it more attractive for a concessionaire.”

He further stated that after concession, the concessionaire has the opportunity to build whatever they want on top of what they have seen here in terms of the runway, the master plan, and the business plan.

“So, for example, if any of you wanted to take the concession of this airport, you’d say, ah, I’ve seen it is an aerotropolis. You have a permit for an aerotropolis. That means I can choose what type of hotels. I can put Marriott here. I can put Sheraton here. I can do how many rooms, which side of the airport should it be. I want to build a swimming pool. I want to do this. Whatever you want to do, you can do because it’s an aerotropolis. That is what makes it attractive to a concessionaire beyond just the terminal.”

Olumide equally explained that airports boost revenue significantly because passenger movement is the primary earner for aerodromes in Nigeria but noted that for a place like the Ogun Airport, revenue will not only come from passengers but from cargo and aerotropolis.

“It is not going to be a primary earner from a passenger perspective. It is going to be a primary earner from cargo and the aerotropolis because you know there is a shortage of housing in Nigeria by and large. You know Lagos is expensive because there is no land. So you build housing estates here, residential complexes, and offices. If you have been to aerotropolis in other parts of the world, you see that DHL, Microsoft have offices there and so on”.

The state commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya alongside his Transportation counterpart, Mr Gbenga Dairo said all support facilities to drive flight operations at the aerodrome are almost completed.

Akinsanya said work on the aerodrome runway has reached an advanced stage, with facilities for air fielding lightning, weather information and being expected.

He said the airport’s runway is the longest in Nigeria measuring four kilometres, with the control tower fitted with the latest technology qualifies the airport as a leading air transport infrastructure.

Akinsanya said the terminal building will be completed and operational by January 2025.

He said: “We already have regulatory approval for chartered flights at Ogun Agro–Cargo International Airport.

Control tower of the Gateway International Airport

The airport will go fully commercial for scheduled flights very soon. We already have enough facilities for fire aerodrome safety cover. The project is 90 per cent completed and is set for flight

Wole Shadare