Kogi gov justifies airport project

Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has defended the state’s international airport project at Zariagi, near Lokoja, describing it as a strategic investment to unlock the state’s economic potential, improve connectivity and attract investment.

Ododo spoke on Tuesday during an inspection visit to the ongoing project, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction and credited President Bola Tinubu’s support for enabling the state to pursue the infrastructure initiative.

The governor said Kogi’s geographical location, with access to several major commercial centres, including the Federal Capital Territory, made an airport a strategic necessity for strengthening economic activities and connectivity.

He noted that despite the state’s location and commercial links, Kogi had operated without its own airport until the Tinubu administration approved the project and supported its execution.

Ododo said his administration would continue to monitor construction to ensure compliance with required standards and timelines, expressing optimism that the project would reach an advanced stage of development by next year.

He also urged critics questioning the feasibility of the airport project to visit the site and assess the level of work, insisting that construction was progressing beyond claims circulating about the initiative.

“Please, I want them to come here to see things by themselves. It is not an AI thing. You can see the equipment working, and they are working day and night. We are not going to make noise about it; we invite them to come and see,” he said.

Ododo described Tinubu’s support for the project as evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to extending critical infrastructure development to states, adding that the airport was intended to deliver long-term benefits to Kogi residents.