Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, says the state-owned Agro Cargo International Airport will be a game changer in the nation’s aviation sector.
Abiodun said ahead of the kick-off of operations at the airport, many companies had shown interest, saying it was a sign that the airport would be a commercial success in the aviation industry.
The governor gave this assurance in a chat with newsmen on Sunday.
He said, “We have been approached by cargo companies that now want to relocate where their cargoes are being delivered to, and ship into Nigeria from where it is presently, simply because they have seen the size of our apron at the airport, which is 84,000 square metres. It is four or five times larger than the largest cargo airport in Nigeria.
These cargo-based companies have now decided that once the airport is ready, they will be flying their cargoes that are destined for Nigeria to that airport, and from our airport, they will now be trans-shipping the cargoes to the other parts of Nigeria and even West Africa.
“And when you look at all those that would be involved in these cargo operations in the distribution and in running of our airport from the agro-producing zone and to the aerotropolis, you can just imagine the economic impacts and the number of jobs that will be created. The impacts will also resonate in the entire economy, not just this country but the entire Africa.
“You should know that the traditional roles of the Customs service of any country are to ensure that goods are being imported into the country, that goods are allowed into the country, and their role is to ensure that necessary tariffs and excise duties are paid on those goods. “In that regard, the Nigeria Customs Service has actually applied for and paid for 100 hectares of land at the airport. They have actually begun the construction of their village at the airport. This just goes to show how much preparation is already underway.”