Gateway International Airport Takes Flight: A Dream Nurtures, A Promise Kept — Professor Adegbemi Onakoya, PhD, FCA

Ogun State etched its name in history once again as the first commercial flight departed from the newly inaugurated Gateway International Airport, Ilishan-Remo — a defining moment that signals the state’s full emergence into Nigeria’s aviation and industrial landscape.

The event, witnessed by top government officials, industry leaders, and residents, marks the fulfillment of a decades-long vision that began as an ambitious idea under one administration and was consummated under another — a rare example of political continuity in Nigeria’s governance space.

It was not just a flight of an aircraft, but a flight of vision, perseverance, and leadership.

From Vision to Reality: The Genesis of an Idea

Every milestone begins with a dream, and the story of the Gateway International Airport dates back to the tenure of His Excellency, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who governed Ogun State between 2003 and 2011.

Guided by the Ogun State 20-Year Regional Development Plan (2005–2025), the Daniel administration envisioned an Agro-Cargo and Industrial Airport as the nucleus of a larger economic transformation agenda. The plan sought to position Ogun as the preferred logistics and industrial hub of West Africa, leveraging its proximity to Lagos and its expanding agro-industrial base.

Under OGD’s watch, the groundwork for the project was meticulously laid. His administration:

• Commissioned detailed feasibility and environmental impact studies (EIA);
• Designed the master plan and secured all necessary approvals from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA);
• Acquired and compensated affected landowners; and
• Performed the symbolic sod-turning ceremony, officially setting the vision in motion.

In his words at the project’s flag-off, Daniel described the airport as:

“A conveyor belt for Nigeria’s import and export trade — particularly for agricultural produce, perishable goods, industrial materials, and consumer commodities.”

The envisioned facility was more than an airstrip. It was conceived as a full-fledged Aeropolis — a self-sustaining ecosystem combining aviation services, industrial parks, logistics hubs, aviation training schools, hospitality infrastructure, and maintenance facilities. This was to become a model for integrated regional development and a foundation for sustainable economic growth in Ogun State.

Dapo Abiodun: The Finisher of a Generational Vision

Years later, the baton of progress was carried forward by Prince Dapo Abiodun, whose administration transformed that visionary foundation into a tangible, functional reality.

Since assuming office in 2019, Governor Abiodun has demonstrated unwavering determination and fiscal prudence in actualizing the project. Through strategic partnerships, sound financial management, and a clear focus on continuity, his government completed and commissioned the facility — bringing to life a vision that had long been in gestation.

The Governor’s commitment to finishing what his predecessors began exemplifies the essence of developmental governance — one that transcends partisanship and personal glory. His approach has not only delivered an airport but has also restored public confidence in the power of sustained governance.

Indeed, the Gateway International Airport now stands as a monument to what can be achieved when successive administrations treat governance as a relay, not a rivalry.

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Continuity in Governance: A Model for National Development

What the Ogun experience illustrates is that development thrives best in an environment where ideas are sustained, improved upon, and implemented across political transitions.

The airport’s completion underscores that when leaders rise above political sentiments and embrace shared purpose, the results resonate far beyond their tenures. Ogun’s aviation milestone is therefore not just a state triumph — it is a national lesson in collaborative governance.

In this achievement, both Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun emerge as dual architects of a success story decades in the making — one for conceiving the dream, the other for completing it.

Acknowledging the Builders Behind the Vision

While leadership often gets the spotlight, great accomplishments are collective efforts. The Gateway International Airport project owes its success to the contributions of several individuals and institutions who provided intellectual, technical, and administrative support across different phases.

Special acknowledgements go to:

• Ms. Yọsọla Akinbi, Economic Adviser during the OGD administration, whose professionalism and insight guided the project’s economic framework;
• Engr. Bayọ Adeola and the Masterplan Team, for their exemplary technical leadership;
• Architect Femi Majekodunmi & Associates and Messrs. Dar al-Handasah, for their design and architectural ingenuity;
• UNILAG Consult, led by Prof. Denloye and supported by the late Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, for conducting comprehensive environmental studies;
• Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for his encouragement and early support of the project; and
• The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, whose administration granted the final approval that legitimized the project’s takeoff.

Their roles, often unseen but deeply impactful, shaped the trajectory that has now culminated in Ogun’s place among states with modern aviation infrastructure.

The Omoluabi Spirit of Governance

At the heart of this story lies the Omoluabi ethos — the Yoruba ideal of integrity, humility, and collective service.

Governor Dapo Abiodun, by completing a project conceptualized by a predecessor from a different political era, exemplifies that ethos in action. So too does Otunba Gbenga Daniel, whose foresight and courage to dream big paved the way for this present glory.

Together, they demonstrate that true leadership is not a competition for credit but a partnership for progress. One envisioned the flight; the other gave it wings.

Gateway to the Future

As the Gateway International Airport welcomes its first commercial passengers, it also ushers Ogun State into a new era of economic opportunity. The facility is poised to catalyze industrialization, enhance trade logistics, attract investment, and create thousands of jobs across agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors.

For the people of Ogun State, it represents hope — proof that dreams, when sustained by continuity and discipline, can indeed take flight.

Conclusion

The launch of commercial operations at the Gateway International Airport is more than an infrastructural achievement. It is a symbol of unity in vision, a triumph of perseverance, and a beacon of what governance can achieve when anchored on continuity and collaboration.

As the aircraft’s engines roared and ascended into the Ogun sky, history recorded not just the takeoff of a plane but the rise of a people — and the realization of a dream that spanned two visionary leaders and two generations of governance.

Congratulations to His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the finisher of this noble vision; to Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the dreamer who first charted the path; and to the people of Ogun State, whose resilience and faith made this day possible.

The Gateway truly flies again.

God bless Ogun State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By Professor Adegbemi Ọnakoya, PhD, FCA

Former Secretary to the Ogun State Government (2008–2011)