Ekiti to spend N2.5b on International Cargo Airport in 2025

The Ekiti State government has said it will spend N2.5 billion on the International Agro-Allied Cargo Airport for its running and maintenance in the 2025 fiscal year.

The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Femi Ajayi, stated this on Thursday during the presentation of the breakdown and highlights of the 2025 budget, signed into law by Governor Biodun Oyebanji on December 30, 2024.

Recall that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, recently declared the airport ready after inspecting the airport in the company of the state governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, saying that the basic requirements for the take-off of an airport are already in place at Ekiti Airport.

He said: “The Ekiti Agro-Allied Airport is 99.5% ready for full commercial operation. I am sure you are aware we have gone round. The basic requirements for the take-off of an airport are here. You have the fire station; you have the navigation equipment already installed. You have other equipment, such as CCTV cameras in place.

“The runway we have here is of international standard and you can see how big the airport is. Narrow bodies can come here to anchor. Ekiti today is ready for the world. The fact that the governor has put a lot of passion, commitment, and resources into this project is a testament to his dedication.”

However, clarifying why the sum of N2.5 billion was budgeted for the Airport, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning said that although the airport has been completed, there is a need to keep it running and properly maintained.

Additionally, the government has earmarked the sum of N1.2 billion for the construction of the Ekiti Indoor Sports Hall, just as it intends to spend N103 million for the renovation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Camp in Emure Ekiti.

Meanwhile, the government has earmarked a total of N68.54 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of various roads spread across the 16 local government areas of the state in the 2025 fiscal year.

The commissioner also disclosed that the state recorded an impressive 88% performance in its 2024 budget, indicating a significant milestone in the state’s appropriation performance.

Ajayi said that the achievement is a testament to Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration’s commitment to effective budget implementation and resource allocation.

He stated that the budget performance has had a corresponding positive impact on the economy, with benefits extended to various sectors as well as communities across the 16 local government areas of the state.

According to him, the state had invested heavily in critical sectors, including infrastructure, health, education, youth development and job creation, agriculture, and human capital development, to further bring economic prosperity to the Ekiti people.