Ododo defends Kogi airport project, challenges critics

Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo.

The Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has challenged critics of the state’s international airport project at Zariagi, near Lokoja, to visit the construction site and assess the progress of work, insisting that the project is real and ongoing.

According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the governor spoke on Tuesday during an inspection of the airport project, where he expressed satisfaction with the progress of construction and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the project met the required standards.

“Please, I want them to come here to see things by themselves. It is not an AI thing. You can see the equipment working, and they are working day and night. We are not going to make noise about it; we invite them to come and see,” the governor said.

He described the airport as a strategic investment in the state’s future, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s support for the project demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to extending critical infrastructure development to states.

Ododo said Kogi’s geographical position, bordering several major commercial centres, including the Federal Capital Territory, made an airport important for unlocking its economic potential.

He noted that despite the state’s strategic location and commercial connections, it had operated without its own airport until the Tinubu administration approved and supported the project.

The governor said the airport would improve connectivity, attract investment and stimulate economic growth, while pledging to monitor construction to ensure that work progressed according to the required standards and timelines.

He expressed optimism that the project would reach an advanced stage of development by 2027 and urged residents to appreciate its potential long-term benefits.

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Providing an update on the construction, the Project Manager of CCECC Nigeria Limited, Kogi State Project Office, Engr. Sun Yishi, said work had reached approximately 20 per cent completion.

He explained that the current phase focused largely on earthworks for the runway and its associated safety areas, describing the process as one of the most demanding stages of the project.

According to him, the work involves extensive excavation, filling, laterite placement and ground preparation before the construction of the runway pavement can proceed.

Similarly, the lead consultant, Architect Adebayo Adidipe of Arcade Consultants Limited, estimated the overall level of completion at between 20 and 25 per cent.

Adidipe expressed confidence in the project’s progress and commended the support received from Ododo, the state Ministry of Transportation, the commissioner and the permanent secretary.

He said issues raised by the project team had received prompt attention, adding that the cooperation had supported the ongoing construction work.