The Kogi State government has announced that it received approval from the Federal Government to build an International Airport in Zariagi, near the Lokoja metropolis.

The approval, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, said in a statement on Friday in Lokoja, was given by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

Fanwo added the approval was conveyed to the state government in a letter dated Oct. 9 by the aviation ministry.

Fanwo said Gov Usman Ododo’s administration was committed to the timely completion of the project with strict adherence to regulatory standards.

“Having an airport in Kogi will definitely serve 10 other states and reduce traffic on the Lokoja -Abuja road. It will also decongest the traffic at the Abuja International Airport.

“Gov. Ododo’s administration has considered this project a top priority one for Kogi State to have an International Airport and join the league of the aviation hub.

“The strategic location of the state is no doubt, an invaluable advantage in harnessing the aviation service market as the centre of the nation.

“The project will not only boost the economy of the State, it will also create jobs and bring the potential of the state to the global scene.

He said the governor is determined to hire the best hands in the industry to make the project a huge success, stating that, aviation is an industry of trust and standards.

The commissioner thanked President Bola Tinubu and the Aviation Minister for the historic approval that will help to further develop Kogi.

According to him, the Airport will also have the capacity for cargo, which is one of the government’s key focuses in the project.

Fanwo assured the people of Kogi that Ododo’s administration would continue to execute laudable projects to consolidate the gains of the last eight years of Ex-Gov. Yahaya Bello’s administration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Zariagi is a very strategic community that already boasts of an airstrip, which the aviation ministry was satisfied with.