November 3, 2010 | Business & Finance

EKITI AIRPORT SURVEY WORKS COMPLETED

By Lere Olayinka

Ekiti State Governor, Engr. Segun Oni, in a warm handshake with the Onitaji of Itaji Ekiti, Oba Adamo Babalola

Ekiti State Government took another major step towards the

implementation of its proposed airport project with the completion of

survey works on the proposed site of the airport.
Receiving the survey plan of the site of the proposed airport from a

consortium of surveying firms in Ado-Ekiti, Governor Segun Oni

restated the commitment of his administration to the early completion

of the project.
Governor Oni noted that though the proposed airport may not be viable

at first it would improve the business climate and investment profile

of the state as the airport would be of strategic importance to the

economy of the state
“Apart from the Airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, how

many other airports are viable in Nigeria? The gains of having our own

airport in Ekiti far outweigh the option of not having one.

“Most people would not believe that our administration and the Ondo

State Government had to guarantee a certain number of seats on a major

airline before we could get just one airline to start plying the Akure

Airport route three times a week. We could work out a similar

arrangement when the proposed airport is completed”, Oni said

According to him, the airport would go a long way in improving the

investment climate of the state and reduce the tiring 5 to 6-hour

journey which potential investors visiting the state have to go

through from Abuja and Lagos.
The Governor who disclosed that the federal Government had signified

interest in supporting the airport project said a cargo handling

section that would specialize in the handling of agricultural products

would be included in its design.
While noting that work would soon commence on the perimeter fencing of

the airport site he assured that agricultural and other economic

activities would be allowed to continue on the areas outside the 1000

hectares of land that would be required for the construction of the

runways and other facilities of the proposed airport.

Earlier, the spokesman of the consortium of surveying firms who

handled the surveying of the site, Oba Adewole Adebayo commended the

Oni-Administration for conceiving the project.
It will be recalled that Governor Oni inaugurated the airport

implementation committee headed the Chief of Staff, Mr Samuel Adekunle

in July.