By Akanimo Sampson
Construction of Ekiti Agro-Allied Cargo Airport, a project of Ekiti State Government in Western Nigeria has begun. This is after Governor Kayode Fayemi handed over the site to the main contractor CCECC Nigeria Ltd.
The latter is a subsidiary of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation that provides construction and engineering services in the West African country.
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The cargo airport broke as Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), an agency set up for the monitoring and maintenance of all federal roads in Nigeria, says its ongoing rehabilitation works of a section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway are currently 88 percent complete.
FERMA Zonal Coordinator in the region, Rufus Onimisi, said the project contractors (Wizchino Engineering Ltd) are fast-tracking the implementation of the project which spans from Igboelerin to Agbara.
“The project contractors are working day and night in order to complete the 24 kilometers project ahead of schedule, which was postponed to April this year from November last year following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic”, he explains
Adding he said,“to date, we have done the drainage works, kerb works, access culverts, and work on the main carriageway. This comprises of scarification, stone base, binder and wearing course as well as desilting works and desilting of silted drainages.
“Drainage works done so far is about 1.6 kilometers. The portion we are working on is 12 kilometers on each lane, so for the two carriageways, that’s a total of 24 kilometers. The asphalting works we have done so far on the other hand is about 11 kilometers on each lane, so basically we have completed asphalting a total of 22 kilometers out of the entire 24 kilometers of the road.
“Considering the rate at which the rehabilitation works are being carried out, I am certain that by the end of March we should be completely done with the project.’’
The Lagos-Badagry Expressway is a major gateway connecting Nigeria and neighboring West African countries. It was conceptualised back in 2009 by the Babatunde Fashola administration in Lagos State to ease traffic in the region and upgrade the infrastructure.
However, during the site handover ceremony, Governor Fayemi described the project, which mainly entails the construction of 3.2 kilometers runway, as a promise made and kept for the development of the state.
Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi says the construction of the airport’s runway pavement would be completed within a span of 15 months, in line with the timeline agreed with the contractors.
Describing the project as a milestone for his administration and the people of Ekiti, Governor Fayemi noted that the Ekiti agro-allied cargo airport would enable the fast movement of agricultural products to the international market.
He explained that Ekiti, which is mainly an agricultural state, is blessed with hardworking farmers and investors who are ready to produce in commercial quantities, once there is an assurance that their goods will reach local and international markets.
“It is with no doubt, that Ekiti is a landlocked state that borders with other landlocked states such as Kwara, Osun, Edo, except Ondo that has a sea. This situation has made it difficult for our people and people of the neighboring states to transport goods, especially agricultural products, to local and international markets.
“The establishment of this agro-allied cargo airport will also help improve the socio-economic development of our state when fully completed”, he said.
