Tinubu approves upgrade of Ibadan Airport

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the upgrade of Ladoke Akintola Airport, formerly called Ibadan Airport, Alakia, Ibadan, to international facility.

The approval follows the request of Governor Seyi Makinde to the Federal Government in his bid to change the status of the Ibadan facility to a global status.

The governor made this known yesterday while receiving the Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar, who visited him at the Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

He said the upgrade would begin in the next three weeks.

The project, according to the governor, would include the building of a terminal, runway and other structural features.

He said it would be handled by experts and delivered to standard.

Makinde said his administration had spent the last five years turning around the state’s economy and had identified the need for the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport as being central to its economic expansion agenda.

He said his government’s resolve to build infrastructure that targets the economic expansion agenda has also seen it investing resources in the 110 kilometres Ibadan Circular Road, noting that the administration would consider the Air Force’s request for land for its post-retirement housing scheme on the Circular Road corridor.

Makinde said: “Since I came into office, this administration has focused on education, agriculture, health and expansion of our economy.

“We have been talking to the Presidency and we got a response from them early this week that the President has approved my request for Ibadan Airport to be upgraded.

“I will be in Abuja soon to get the documents relating to the approval. And within three weeks, we will start the project. We will expand the runway and build a new terminal.”