L-R: Capt Chris Najomo, Ag Director General Civil Aviation, Ag DGCA, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Lagos Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has reiterated that construction of a state-of-the-art airport on 4,000 hectares of land acquired at the Eastern flank of the state, is among the projects on the front burner for Lagos State Government to deliver.
He said the Ibeju-Lekki Airport came up into reckoning as an essential infrastructure for the Epe division and its entire environs when in 2007, the Lagos State Master Plan was developed which caused the redesigning of the Eastern side of the state.
Sanwo-Olu said it was in the thought process of serving well people, industries and communities in the Eastern flank that threw up the rationale for an airport as a necessary solution to the challenges posed by having only one airport serving Lagos.
The governor dug into the genesis of the proposed airport at the Ibeju-Lekki area of the state when he received in audience at his office, the Acting Director General, Civil Aviation, Ag DGCA, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Capt Chris Najomo, along with the technical team of the authority.
Sanwo-Olu revealed that 14 years ago, a feasibility study that was conducted gave the nod that the airport project was feasible, viable and with an enormous commercial success. He however, noted, that due to unforeseen setbacks, progress on the airport’s preliminaries was delayed.
The governor said the exponential growth and development recorded in the Ibeju-Leki area of the state in the past five years (5years), in terms of industrial development, humans population, among others, had made the airport more imperative now than ever before.
Sanwo-Olu argued that these growths renewed the state government’s determination to revisit the airport project. He mentioned that discussions had taken place with the former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Hadi Sirika, who had approved the establishment of an aerodrome in Ibeju-Lekki.
The Governor affirmed that the project had garnered considerable interest and that Lagos State had engaged a consultant- DAR- to oversee the initiative yet, the importance of seeking regulatory approval from the NCAA before moving forward to avoid any potential challenges was held in high esteem.
He however acquainted his guests with his government’s T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda in which the first letter T stands for transportation which he said further made the proposed airport a crucial component of the State’s broader transport master plan.
Responding, the leader of the delegation, Ag DGCA, Capt Najomo, confirmed that the Authority had received approval for the project from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Najomo urged the governor to cause to be written by the state government, to NCAA an official declaration of intent to construct an airport at the Ibeju-Lekki area of the state.
Najomo said on the receipt of the formal letter of intent, the regulatory body, NCAA, will now be able to provide technical guidance and regulatory oversight for the state government.
He added that statutorily, notification of intent to build must reach the NCAA at least 180 days prior to the commencement of construction.
Governor Sanwo-Olu assured that the state government will keep up the engagement with the regulatory authorities from the beginning until the delivery of the project and its operations thereafter.
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