The Oyo State Government has donated four operational vehicles to key agencies at the upgraded Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan, signaling readiness for the imminent resumption of local flights.
Chairman of the airport upgrade committee, Bimbo Adekanmbi, presented the vehicles on behalf of Governor Seyi Makinde during a ceremony at the facility.
The vehicles were allocated to the Aviation Security Department of FAAN, Nigerian Police Force Airport Command, Airport Operations Department, and the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Adekanmbi emphasized that the donation underscores the state’s proactive role in the upgrade, refusing to wait solely on federal funding.
“We cannot wait for the Federal Government to fund these,” he said. “Because the governor is headlining this upgrade, he has donated these vehicles to ensure there is absolutely no operational gap.”
He confirmed the runway is fully completed and ready for local flights, which could resume “any moment from now it could be next week, Monday, or Tuesday.”
The international terminal, currently 35 percent complete, is slated for handover by contractors in September 2026.
Adekanmbi highlighted the airport’s recent milestone of hosting President Bola Tinubu’s wide-bodied A330 aircraft during the coronation of the new Olubadan as proof of its enhanced capacity.
He assured that all regulatory requirements from agencies including NAMA, NCAA, NIMET, and FAAN have been met.
The vehicles, he stressed, are specialized and dedicated exclusively to airport operations, with the state government taking responsibility for their maintenance.
Airport Manager Oluwagbenga Afuwape, speaking on behalf of FAAN Managing Director Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, commended Governor Makinde for the gesture, describing it as evidence of his commitment to boosting Oyo’s economy through aviation.
NAMA Manager Famosinpe Gbenga and Chief Security Officer Victor Adeya echoed the praise, calling the donation timely and a hallmark of the transformative partnership between FAAN and the Oyo State Government.
With local flight operations set to restart imminently, the donation marks a critical step toward positioning the airport as a fully functional regional hub.
