Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, has drawn a direct connection between President Bola Tinubu’s econTheomic reforms, improved state revenues and the emergence of major infrastructure projects.
Keyamo, who spoke at the groundbreaking of Kogi State’s international cargo airport on Tuesday, said the development represented something larger than the commencement of another airport project.
According to him, it was an opportunity to explain how President Tinubu’s economic reforms are reshaping the financial capacity of state governments and creating opportunities for infrastructure development.
Speaking at Zariagi in Adavi Local Government Area, where he represented the President at the ceremony, Keyamo attributed the project’s commencement to a combination of federal economic policies and the development priorities of Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“What is happening here today, what the Governor has done today, will resonate many, many years, centuries after today, 500 years from today. Do you understand the significance of what is happening here today? Let me tell you the significance. Today, as from today, this village called Zariagi will be on the Global Aviation Map,” the Minister declared.
According to Keyamo, the combination of national economic reform and purposeful state leadership was central to the airport initiative.
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu has introduced major economic policy changes, including the removal of petrol subsidy and reforms to Nigeria’s foreign exchange system.
The measures have been accompanied by significant economic pressures, particularly higher living costs and exchange-rate volatility.
However, the administration has also argued that the reforms are intended to reduce longstanding fiscal distortions, improve government finances and create a more sustainable foundation for investment.
Keyamo linked those changes to the growing financial capacity of state governments.
He argued that the development requires leadership capable of converting available resources into productive investments.
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The Kogi airport project is intended to strengthen the state’s position in transportation, logistics, agriculture and commercial development.
Speaking at the event, Governor Ododo noted that the infrastructure of the proposed airport was capable of improving access to domestic and international markets while attracting businesses and investors.
Describing the airport project as a strategic investment in the economic future of Kogi State, Ododo emphasised its potential to unlock the state’s enormous agricultural and solid mineral resources for local and international markets.
The Governor noted that Kogi State possesses immense economic potential which, if properly harnessed, could position it as a major contributor to Nigeria’s export economy.
He explained that the airport would provide a significant boost to the transportation of agricultural produce and mineral resources, attract investors, stimulate commercial activities and create employment opportunities for the people of the state.
He further highlighted the airport’s capacity to facilitate the movement of people and goods, strengthen connectivity, attract new businesses and accelerate the development of supporting infrastructure across the state.
Putting Zariagi On The Aviation Map
Keyamo described the groundbreaking as a milestone that could alter Zariagi’s long-term economic prospects.
He argued that the proposed airport would increase the community’s visibility and connect it more directly to national and international aviation activity.
Keyamo noted that increased revenue alone was not sufficient to guarantee development, stressing that purposeful leadership and the ability to identify and invest in strategic projects were equally important.
“However, it takes two to tango. One, the positive policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the vision of the Governor. These are the two things that combined to make this thing possible today,” he said.
Addressing critics who have questioned the rationale behind establishing an international airport in Kogi State, the Minister argued that infrastructure development must sometimes precede the arrival of major investors and commercial establishments.
He explained that waiting for international companies, luxury hotels and other major businesses to establish their presence before building an airport would amount to putting the cart before the horse.
According to him, an airport is not merely a response to existing economic activities but a strategic catalyst capable of attracting those activities in the first place.
“If you are waiting for the best international companies to be here, the best international hotels to be here before you put an airport, you wait for the next one million years, it will not come. It is the airport that attracts these developments. The airport is the precursor. The airport is the forerunner. The airport is the indicator of development,” Keyamo stated.
He added that the Kogi International Airport would provide the foundation for increased investment, improved accessibility and the emergence of new economic opportunities that could transform the state in the years ahead.
The Kogi State Government projects between 2,000 and 3,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities associated with the initiative. That remains an official projection rather than jobs already created.
