Akure airport to become first sub-Sahara Africa’s aerotropolis

The Akure Airport will become an aerotropolis thanks to agreements reached by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and Ala Resort Limited.

This was said by the resort’s chief executive officer, Mr. Moyosola Niran-Oladunni, on Monday in Akure at a press conference to announce the project’s inauguration on Tuesday.

According to Niran-Oladunni, the project will be officially launched when FAAN and the resort management sign a Memorandum of Understanding.

A metropolis that has grown inside and outside of an airport is known as an aerotropolis. It entails the creation of a city centered around an airport, with commercial, educational, entertainment, healthcare, and hospitality centers surrounding it.

According to Niran-Oladunni, the business was bringing ideas that would be valuable to the state.

According to him, the aerotropolis, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, would center people’s lives around the aviation sector.

Niran-Oladunni claims that since 2017—the year after experts were asked to evaluate the airport’s suitability for the project—the resort has been making progress on the aerotropolis.

He said the project, which would be built in institutional, industrial, commercial, and agricultural phases, had received FAAN approval.

He claimed that the aerotropolis would feature an institutional area that would house a sports academy that could house any sports team, built by the Emirate Foundation, and a medical facility that would be constructed by a US company.

Additionally, the industrial zone would allow for the assembly and production of all building materials within its borders.

The airport authority would activate the cargo shed in the airport, Niran-Oladunni continued, adding that the aerotropolis has the potential to catalyze the cargo business in the airport.

He revealed that the aerotropolis would employ 14,000 skilled workers, with the infrastructure facilities costing N56 billion.

He claims that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Ala Resort Limited are working together to develop the project as a public-private partnership.

“Ala Resort and Aerotropolis will be a large-scale development, with aviation serving as the primary motivator and guiding principle. It will be surrounded by complementary projects for commercial, educational, entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, and light industrial centers.

“Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to perform the ground-breaking, assisted by the Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and Minister of Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Hycinth Ngwu, General Manager, Business Development, FAAN Headquarters, said the choice was based on a public-private partnership aimed at creating an aerotropolis in the airport.

Ngwu gave his word that the project would go as planned and that Akure Airport would completely change how the authority generates income.

“Supporting the project is in the best interests of all parties involved. It will broaden the state and local governments’ sources of revenue.

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“The majority of the employees will undoubtedly be from the area. They ought to back it because it will contribute to their success.

“This is something we want to do in other airports. We began in Akure because, until recently, Abuja Airport had the largest land mass there, he explained.

Mrs. Lynda Ezike, the airport manager in Akure, assured that the management and staff of the airport were eager and prepared to support the unprecedented development mega project that was proposed for the airport.

“We are ready to support Ala Resort Ltd in ensuring the success of this mega project, which is for the betterment of all stakeholders,” she said.