The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in conjunction with a private company, Ala Resort Limited, has concluded arrangements to turn the Akure Airport into an aerotropolis.
At a news conference to herald the inauguration of the project in Akure on Monday, Ala Resort’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Moyosola Niran-Oladunni said that the project would be inaugurated on Tuesday with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between FAAN and the management of the resort.
Aerotropolis is a metropolitan area developed in and well beyond airport premises. It involves the development of an airport-based city, with air travel at its core, and surrounded by commercial, educational, entertainment, healthcare, and hospitality centers.
Niran-Oladunni explained that the company was bringing ideas that would impact value on the state.
He said the aerotropolis, which would be the first of its kind in sub-Sahara Africa, would drive lives around the aviation industry.
According to Niran-Oladunni, the resort had begun moves on the aerotropolis since 2017 when experts were invited to assess the airport for its suitability for the project.
He said that FAAN had approved the project, which he explained, would be constructed in phases including institutional, industrial, commercial, and agricultural.
According to him, the aerotropolis would parade institutional zone including a sports academy that can host any sports club, which would be built by Emirate Foundation and a medical centre to be built by a United States company.
“The industrial zone will also enable all materials to be used for the construction to be assembled and manufactured in the sector within”, he said.
Niran-Oladunni added that the aerotropolis has the potential to catalyse cargo business in the airport, saying that the airport authority would activate the cargo shed in the airport.
He disclosed that no fewer than 14,000 skilled workers would be engaged by the aerotropolis with the infrastructure facilities gulping N56 billion.
According to him, the project is being developed as a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) between his firm and FAAN.
“Ala Resort and aerotropolis will be a sprawling development for which air travel will constitute the driving force and central concept, surrounded by complementary developments of commercial, educational, entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, and light industrial centres.
“Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to perform the ground-breaking, assisted by the Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika”, he said.
Also, FAAN’s General Manager, Business Development, Mr. Hycinth Ngwu said the decision was anchored on a PPP geared toward developing an aerotropolis in the airport.
Ngwu assured that the project would be executed as planned and Akure Airport would revolutionise the way the authority generates revenue.
“It’s in the interest of all stakeholders to support the project. It will increase revenue base of the state and local government.
“Certainly, the majority of the employees will come from the locality. They should support it because it will transform to their success.
“We intend to replicate this in other airports. We started in Akure because it initially had the largest land mass before being overtaken recently by Abuja Airport”, he said.
The Airport Manager, Akure, Mrs. Lynda Ezike assured that the management and members staff of the airport were expectant and ready to support the proposed unprecedented developmental mega project.
“We are ready to support Ala Resort Limited. in ensuring the success of this mega project which is for the betterment of all stakeholders”, she said.
