Kogi State officials used a Nov. 10 ceremony to promote a planned cargo airport as a trade and investment link, forecasting 2,000 to 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The event took place in Zariagi, in Kogi State’s Adavi Local Government Area. The state government and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo. Premium Times reported that Keyamo and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo carried out the groundbreaking together.
Ododo said the airport would improve market access for farmers and agro-processors. State and federal announcements also named agriculture, mining, logistics, tourism, commerce, manufacturing and hospitality as sectors expected to benefit.
Plans for the first phase combine access roads, drainage and perimeter fencing with a 3,600-meter runway, taxiways and an aircraft parking apron. The Federal Ministry said the runway is planned to be 60 meters wide and designed to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, with capacity for wide-body aircraft such as Boeing 747s.
The Federal Ministry said residents of the host community made ancestral land available for the project, describing the contribution as a sacrifice.
Kogi said on Apr. 8 that it had handed the project to contractors, calling the occasion a groundbreaking. In an Oct. 27 update, the state said construction was underway: the project manager estimated completion at about 20%, while the lead consultant put it between 20% and 25%. The state did not explain how the Nov. 10 ceremony related to those earlier milestones.
Premium Times reported that Keyamo linked higher state revenue allocations following fuel-subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms to infrastructure spending, alongside Ododo’s development priorities. In October, Ododo said he expected the project to reach an advanced stage in 2027.
