History was made on Thursday, February 23, 2023 as a ValueJet CRJ 900 commercial aircraft touched down in a maiden flight to the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport, located along Iperu-Ilishan Road in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The Challenger aircraft landed at 2.15 pm to the excitement of the Ogun people who had earlier trooped to the airport to witness the occasion.
Many, including villagers and others, erupted in great joy when the ValueJet CRJ 900 aircraft, with registration number 5N-BXS, landed at the newly built four-kilometer runway of the airport still under construction.
The excitement was palpable as security personnel pleaded with the surging crowd to keep a distance. The deployment of ValueJet aircraft for the historic test flight is also a testament to the resilience of the Remo, Ikenne, and Ilisan indigenes to use their resources, connections, and industry to better the lots of their people.
On hand to witness the milestone were prominent dignitaries from the public and private sectors, led by the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, former Governors of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba and Gbenga Daniel, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, Chairman of ValueJet, Mr. Kunle Soname, and traditional rulers including the Akarigbo of Remonland Awujale of Ijebu, who was represented by the Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo.
Speaking at the event, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said the airport marked the actualization of a dream initiated by former Governor Gbenga Daniel, adding that the project aligned with his administration’s desire to provide a conducive atmosphere for industries to not only berth in the state, but to record successes.
In his comments, Vice President Osinbajo expressed his joy for the project, stressing that airports would help to fast track development of the state, lauding the governor for fulfilling his promise to bring the project to fruition.
Osinbajo described the Gateway Agro Cargo Airport as a world-class project worthy of emulation. He also disclosed that the Kajola Dry Port in the state would soon become operational in a few months
Daniel poured encomium on Abiodun, noting that when he assume power in 2003, his government created a 25-year masterplan for infrastructure development for the state, with the cargo airport as one of the projects.
He added that the aerodrome can serve as an alternative to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos because of its proximity to Ogun State.
“We got the approval for this airport in 2008 but we did not have the money to start the project. We were not allowed to access funds. We thought that whoever takes over from us would continue, but for eight years, nothing happened. I thank Governor Abiodun for a job well done”.
On his part, Osoba said he shed tears of joy to see Abiodun complete some of the projects he initiated when he was governor of the state between 1992 and 1993.
He took a swipe at some of his successors whom he said played politics by abandoning some of the projects of their predecessors, saying the government is a continuum.
Soname on his part said, “We are partners for this project. It is a dream come true. The first commercial flight into this airport is our flight. This is a four-kilometer runway designed to land A B747, B777, A380, and other wide-body aircraft”.
In his remarks, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika, disclosed that airports have a way of connecting business and noted that the airport is a product of people who sat down to think about what can be done to improve the socio-economic development of the people of the state.
Sirika, who noted that the gains of the airport wouldn’t be seen at the moment but in the future, added that the gains of the airport with the ability to carry cargo from one place to another could not be quantified.
Sitting on about 5000 hectares of land strategically located with its proximity to the Lagos-Ibadan and the Sagamu-Benin Expressways, the airport is provided with a five-storey control tower obtainable in similar airports in developed countries.
The maiden test flights were important milestones that signal the imminent commencement of aviation activities at the aerodrome.
