By Obansa Ibrahim, Lokoja
The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has approved the bid by the Kogi State Government to build an International Airport in Zariagi in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Femi Fanwo, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Lokoja.
He revealed that the approval was conveyed in a letter by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, dated 9th October, 2024.
Fanwo said the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo was committed to the timely completion of the project with strict adherence to regulatory standards.
He pointed out that an airport in Kogi would serve 10 other states and reduce the volume of traffic on the Lokoja-Abuja highway adding that it would also decongest the traffic on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
“The Ododo Administration has considered it a top priority for Kogi State to have an International Airport and join the league of the aviation hub.
“The strategic location of the state is no doubt, an invaluable advantage in harnessing aviation services market as the centre of the nation”, Fanwo said.
The Information Commissioner also pointed out that the project would not only boost the economy of the State but also create jobs and bring the potentials of the state to the global sphere.
“The Governor is determined to hire the best hands in the industry to make the project a huge success. As you are aware, aviation is an industry of trust and standards.
“We thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the Aviation Minister for the historic approval that will help to further develop Kogi State.
“We want to say that the Airport will also have capacity for Cargo as that is one of our key focuses in the project,” the Commissioner stated.
Fanwo assured the people of Kogi State that Governor Ododo’s administration would continue to execute laudable projects to consolidate the gains of the last eight years in Kogi State.
He said that the team from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development was satisfied with the location and plans of Kogi State Government for the project.
Zariagi in Adavi Local Government and very close to Lokoja, the state capital, is a very strategic community that already boasts of an airstrip.