Ogun State government has announced that the $800 million Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport is featuring the longest runway in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, with 4 km long and 60 m wide, runway to attract bigger planes.

The state-of-the-art facility, according to the Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, is capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft like Boeing 777s and A350s, making it a key player in regional aviation.

During a briefing with the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), Akinsanya highlighted the airport’s readiness for commercial operations, pending approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

It currently has approval for chartered flights and aims to secure an operating permit, becoming the first airport in Nigeria to attain this status under the stringent ENCAS 2023 regulations.

He emphasised the airport’s design as an aerotropolis, with future plans for hotels, amusement parks, and other facilities. The airport spans 5,000 hectares, with the first phase utilising 900 hectares.

The Airport Manager, Captain Dapo Olumide, linked the slight delay in the completion of the project to the government’s desire to attain a new status of operation, as opposed to what is common in the industry.

“There are some people who have said, why is our airport taking so long, that an airport can be built in six months? What they don’t understand is that since the good old days of the FCAA, we have what they call an Aerodrome Certificate.

“With ENCAS 2023, it has changed now to an operating permit, and there is a difference between an operating permit and an Aerodrome Certificate. Even with the old Aerodrome Certificate, how many airports in Nigeria comply?

“We are the first airport in Nigeria trying to attain the status of a full operating permit. It is for that reason alone that this project is taking longer than it would have if we had opted for an Aerodrome Certificate,” he said.