Provide Full Breakdown Of Ekiti Airport Expenses To Avoid White Elephant Project, PDP Chieftain Demands From Gov. Oyebanji
Otunba Obafemi stated the need for the government to provide clear details on the total cost of the project and the measures in place to ensure its economic viability.
Achieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Otunba (Dr.) Peter Olugbenga Obafemi, has called on the Ekiti State Government to ensure full transparency in the budgetary allocations and actual expenditures on the Ekiti State Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport project.
His statement comes after SaharaReporters’ report of fresh multi-billion-naira contracts for the airport project, despite earlier claims that it had reached 99.5% completion.
Otunba Obafemi stated the need for the government to provide clear details on the total cost of the project and the measures in place to ensure its economic viability.
Referencing a 2022 report that found eight out of 13 Nigerian cargo airports inactive, Obafemi warned against poor planning and mismanagement that could render the project an underutilized investment.
“Ekiti cannot afford to join the growing list of states with ineffective airport infrastructure. The government must assure Ekiti people that the massive investment in the cargo airport will not be another white elephant project,” he stated.
He further stressed that the airport must fulfill its intended purpose of enhancing trade, boosting agribusiness, and creating jobs, rather than becoming an economic burden on the state.
“The key priority must be ensuring that the airport serves its true purpose—enhancing trade, boosting agribusiness, and creating jobs—rather than becoming an economic liability,” Obafemi added.
SaharaReporters, previously reported that a review of the Ekiti State Open Contracting Portal revealed that the state government recently awarded contracts worth N4.2billion for the construction and enhancement of the Ekiti State Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, despite previous claims that the project was 99.5% completed.
On January 21, 2025, the Ekiti State government announced on its website that the airport was ready for commercial operations.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), was quoted as saying that the airport was “99.5% ready” for full commercial use.
He further stated, “As I mentioned, Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport is 99.5 percent ready for full commercial operations. I am sure you have seen that we have gone around, the basic requirements for the takeoff of an airport are here.
“You have the fire station, the tower, navigational equipment already installed, all security equipment in place. The runway we have here is of international standard. You can also see how big the apron is; it can park many 737s with narrow bodies. A lot of narrow bodies can come here and anchor. So, as it is today, Ekiti is ready for the world.”
Despite these claims, just three weeks later, on February 11, 2025, the state government awarded a contract worth N3.361billion for the “supply and installation of an instrument landing system.”
Notably, instead of awarding the contract to a company, the contract was given to a “permanent secretary,” a move that experts say raises legal and ethical concerns regarding transparency and due process.
One day before this, on February 10, 2025, another contract worth N543.9 million was awarded to CCECC Nigeria Limited for “Repairs/construction of drainages and embankments at the Ekiti State Airport.”
On the same day, an additional contract worth N312.611 million was awarded to CCECC Nigeria Limited for further airport enhancements, including the provision and installation of a 1.6-meter-high steel fence. Earlier, on February 3, 2025, a contract worth N46 million was awarded for the installation of LPG canons and LPG bird repellers.
The contract was also awarded to the “permanent secretary.” Additionally, on January 29, 2025, a contract valued at N41 million was approved for the clearing and transportation of the baggage handling system for the airport, again awarded to the “permanent secretary.”
The latest spending comes on top of massive financial commitments previously made to the airport project.
Between 2019 and 2022, contracts totalling N36.7 billion were awarded for the airport’s construction.
Between November 2023 and September 2024, under Governor Biodun Oyebanji, an additional N46.7 billion in contracts was awarded.
Another N2.2 billion in contracts was approved between October and December 2024. With the latest N4.2 billion in contracts awarded between January 29 and February 11, 2025, the total amount spent on the airport project between 2019 and February 2025 stands at N89.9 billion.
The continued awarding of large contracts despite claims of near-completion has raised concerns about financial transparency and accountability.
Experts argue that awarding contracts without a competitive bidding process, particularly to a “permanent secretary,” violates procurement regulations and raises red flags regarding possible mismanagement or corruption.
Given the staggering total expenditure of N89.9 billion, independent auditors, anti-corruption agencies, and civil society organizations may need to investigate the nature of these contracts to ensure proper use of public funds.
On Monday, SaharaReporters reported that the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace Limited, Dr. Allen Onyema, faced challenges departing from the Ekiti airport on his Air Peace flight over the weekend, despite earlier praising the facility as one of the best in the world.
According to sources, Onyema was stranded for over 24 hours as his plane could not take off due to the lack of navigational aids at the airport.
“After receiving an award arranged for him by former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), he boisterously stated that Ekiti airport which only accepts chartered flights was one of the best in the world, only for him to be stuck in Ekiti for over 24 hours when it was time to leave,” one of the sources privy to Onyema’s experience at the airport said.
On Saturday, Onyema praised the airport, calling it one of the best in the world. Arriving at the airport around 10am in a Boeing 737 with a 120-seat capacity, he was en route to the convocation ceremony of the Federal University (FUOYE), Oye-Ekiti.
“However, after praising the airport facilities, when it was time for Mr. Onyema to leave Ekiti on Saturday evening, his flight could not be cleared to take off because there were no navigational aids and his B737 could not work out a coordinate to fly out of Ekiti airport,” one of the sources said.
“This left him stranded until Sunday when his pilot took a risky manoeuvre to exit Ekiti airport to Lagos.”
In April 2023, SaharaReporters revealed that despite the grand inauguration of the Ekiti Cargo Airport in October 2022, the facility remained non-operational months later.
But when SaharaReporters contacted the airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Ejike Ndiulo, he denied that the delay was caused by the airport’s facilities.
Ndiulo blamed the delay in taking off from the Ekiti airport on poor weather.
