Dapo Abiodun completes Ogun Gateway Airport, fulfilling a historic vision and transforming the state into Nigeria’s next logistics and industrial hub
Dapo Abiodun completes Ogun Gateway Airport in what many have described as a historic and visionary achievement, fulfilling a decades-old ambition for Ogun indigenes to own an international airport.
The completion and commissioning of the Ogun State Gateway International Airport stand as a powerful testament to continuity in governance and evidence-based development.
The project, realised under the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun, has been lauded for expanding Ogun’s accessibility across Nigeria and beyond while honouring the original vision conceived in the Ogun State Regional Master Plan (2005–2025).
According to Professor Kayode Oyesiku, a leading urban and regional planner who was part of the master plan team, the Gateway International Airport represents the culmination of meticulous planning and infrastructural foresight rather than political convenience.
“It is rare in the Nigerian context for leaders to build upon the vision of previous administrations,” Oyesiku remarked.
“Governor Abiodun deserves commendation for bringing this dream to fruition while acknowledging those who first conceived it.”
The airport evolved from an extensive regional plan addressing land use, transportation, physical infrastructure, and economic systems.
Executed by Comprehensive Project Management Services Limited (CPMS), led by Engr. Bayo Adeola, the plan involved top professionals including Tpl. Alhaji Waheed Kadiri, Tpl. Kayode Solie, and the late Prof. A.I. Adalemo.
Their collective vision was to ensure that Ogun residents live in well-connected, economically viable environments, with modern transport systems linking the state to the rest of Nigeria and the global economy.
The Ogun Regional Development Plan outlined critical infrastructure such as a regional airport, seaport, railway, and industrial corridors.
The airport, specifically, was designed to serve as a hub for agro-cargo exports, courier logistics, and general aviation.
“The airport should not only function as a flight hub,” Oyesiku said, “but also anchor industries such as processing, packaging, and quality assurance—creating a complete value chain around agriculture and export.”
Strategically positioned to complement Lagos’ overburdened logistics network, the airport is expected to stimulate agro-industrial growth, attract foreign investment, and convert its surrounding rural environment into a vibrant economic zone.
Oyesiku projected that integrating rail connectivity with the Gateway Airport would mark a new era of intermodal transport in Nigeria, making Ogun the first state after Abuja to achieve such a milestone.
“The sustainability of this achievement is crucial to the state’s long-term development,” he noted.
While commending Abiodun’s administration for completing the project, Oyesiku also paid tribute to former Governor Gbenga Daniel (OGD), whose government initiated the site selection, design approval, and groundwork for the airport under the Gateway Cargo Airport concept.
“We must acknowledge those who had the dream and laid the foundation. This airport stands on a well-laid vision,” he concluded.
The Gateway International Airport thus symbolises more than infrastructure—it embodies the power of planning, partnership, and perseverance.
By completing what began nearly two decades ago, Dapo Abiodun has positioned Ogun as Nigeria’s next industrial and logistics powerhouse, setting a precedent for continuity and visionary governance.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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