'When you want to start the operation of an airport, you may not start a 24-hour operation.'
It was alleged that the runway gulped N16bn and that it falls below the standard of the Akure Airport in the neighbouring Ondo State. What is your take on that?
We cannot compare our runway with that of Akure. Airports are purpose-built. What we built in Ekiti is Category E, 747E runway. That is the highest runway you can have because it can take any type of aircraft. What we have here is 3.2 kilometres and 60 metres wide. The load-carrying capacity or load-bearing capacity of the runway here is over 100, which is the highest. It can take any type of aircraft. This is an international airport, and again, this is a cargo airport.
Even before the runway test on October 15 last year, we had brought an airline here. The airline inspected the runway and fixed April 9, 2023, to start operations. However, other intricacies played out. When you begin a commercial flight, at the initial stage of flying, not everybody in Ekiti will want to start patronising you. Assuming that the aircraft is a 42-seater, you probably may not have more than 10 people who want to fly and the airline may not want to run at a loss.
I may not be able to say this is exactly what the government is doing as far as funding is concerned. But I know there is no way you can get enough funding to do all the facilities that you want to put in place for our people. From my perspective, if I am there, I will source funds from anywhere. Once there are facilities, money will be made available, employment will be generated and when there is employment, people will pay tax and you will be able to pay back.
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