Gov Ododo Plans Cargo Airport For Kogi
- Plans upgrading for Adogo Airstrip
BY VICTOR BUORO – After about 20 years of being in disrepair, the Kogi State government has announced plans to upgrade the Adogo airstrip to an international Cargo airport.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo dropped the hints when he met with the management team of China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) led by the Managing Director, David Wang at the government house in Lokoja.
The proposed State Cargo Airport, to be executed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model between the Kogi State government and the CCECC, will begin with a feasibility study and consultation with stakeholders a few weeks from now.
A statement by Ismaila Isah, Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, further stated that the government intends to set up a project Implementation Committee that will oversee the project to its successful completion.
Governor Ododo told the CCECC team that the Cargo Airport project is of critical importance to the economic development of Kogi state, stressing that the State is endowed with huge agricultural potential and large mineral deposits in commercial quantities that require a viable means of air transportation to connect with markets within and outside Nigeria.
He described the proposed Cargo Airport as a strategic project that will further advance his administration’s economic development agenda by linking Kogi State to gateways of economic activities through intermodal transportation systems like the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the Warri-Itakpe-Abuja rail line when fully completed.
The Governor also noted that ongoing road projects, including feeder roads in rural communities that are bearers of key agricultural and mineral resources, would find true expression in economic viability when connected to the proposed cargo airport in the state.
Responding to the Governor’s remarks, the Managing Director of CCECC, David Wang assured him of the Company’s commitment to deliver on the proposed project as soon as the feasibility study and other assessments and consultations required are completed by the government.
