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emarks at the commissioning of the
.2 m I A R D
P M 202.
We are here today to commission
the 3.2 km Ibadan Airport Road,
which is part of our vision of
turning the surrounding areas of the
Ibadan Airport into an aerotropolis. This
project also covers the rehabilitation of
adjoining roads along the airport axis and
the rehabilitation of spur roads around the
Iwo Road Interchange, including the 2 km
road from Oludare to Bishop Phillips.
Let me also mention that our vision goes beyond building roads. We
have other ancillary projects, such as upgrading the Ibadan Airport,
which forms part of our vision to make the Ibadan Airport a viable
alternative to the Lagos Airport. We have already upgraded the
facilities at the airport including upgrading the IP lounge and
providing a fire truck. We have installed a 500,000 litres aviation fuel
storage and dispensing facility which will also be commissioned
today so that flights which pass through this airport can refuel here in
Ibadan. These actions will further unlock our states economic
potential related to the aviation and transportation industry.
When we came into office, I remember stating in my inaugural
speech that depending over 60 on FAAC allocations was
unsustainable. I promised then that we would take actions that would
put Oyo State on the path to sustainable development.
At different times, I have shared my dream
of seeing aeroplanes take off and land at
this airport every 30 minutes. But, I have
also maintained that this will not be
possible if we cannot pull the right crowd
to the airport. The people we need to
attract will only come here if we have
created the path for them. So, roads like
these ones we are commissioning today
are vital