The Gateway visit that lifted the president’s spirits

The Gateway visit that lifted the president’s spirits

By Kayode Akinmade

President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Ogun State last weekend could not have come at a better time. It showed the phenomenal things going on in the state. The atmosphere within and outside Abeokuta, the state capital, was electric. The president rode around the state commissioning landmark projects, and his excitement and relief were palpable. The president had just visited Jos, Plateau State, where he had confronted gory images of terror and the agony of victims.

The President knew the pain of parents in such circumstances. He was visibly shaken, and promised to do everything humanly possible to rewrite the security narrative. And then came the rescheduled Ogun visit that lifted his spirits and showed the possibilities of visionary leadership…

The mood before the President’s visit was ecstatic. Across the state, billboards announced the visit, but much more so did a populace grateful to have a government working according to their dictates, opening up the state up for business and lifting the state into a phenomenal height. Young men and women loaded the social media with images of ultramodern hospitals yet to be commissioned, of long-abandoned roads completed or undergoing renovation, and of the state-of-the-art airport that the Number One citizen was coming to commission. Some spoke of sheer excitement about the visit while others spoke of their plans to sell various products.

In light of his ISEYA mantra, the Ogun State Governor had been extremely busy rolling out projects across the length and breadth of the state. Between January and February, Abiodun commissioned a strategic stretch of roads: Abeokuta–Obalende Road, Osinubi New Town Road (Ijebu-Ode), Sagamu–Ayepe Road (Sagamu LGA), Afon Palace Road (Imeko/Afon LGA), Lantoro–Oke-Yidi–Isale Ake Junction Road (Abeokuta South), Imashayi–Igan-Okoto–Ayetoro Road (Phase II, Yewa North), among others, showcasing a strategy tied to economic corridors and connectivity. As he was keen to emphasize, roads are selected through community-driven prioritisation.

As the President landed in the state, a stretch of life-changing projects awaited him. In the aviation and transport sector, Tinubu commissioned the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport, Iperu, together with the state’s new airline, Gateway Airline, and its two newly acquired aircraft. The president also inaugurated logistics and trade infrastructure. He launched the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) ₦73bn hub that has a residential barracks, training college, warehouse and hospital. The president also launched mobility, security and agriculture assets, including 1,000 electric motorcycles (EV bikes), and 80 units of security vehicles.

Before the president arrived at the Gateway Airport, the space was filled to the brim with the high and mighty, and with surging crowds of Ogun indigenes. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was present, as were the Governors of Zamfara, Bayelsa, Taraba, Ekiti, Ondo, Niger and Lagos states, as well as the deputy governors of Oyo and Lagos states. Former President Olusegun was there, and Dimeji Bankola, ex-House of Reps speaker, was present too. Also in attendance were former governors of the Gateway State, including Senator Gbenga Daniel, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and Chief Olusegun Osoba. The roll call also included the Chairman of ANN Plc, Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; Ambassador Femi Pedro, Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso; Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the chairman of the BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and chairman of the Zenon Group, Femi Otedola. Also in attendance were the Inspector General of Police, Mr Tunji Disu; the CG Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, and Zenith Bank CEO, Adaora Umeoji, among others.

It was quite evident, when Tinubu took the microphone, that he was pleased with the developmental sights in the Gateway State. Hear him: “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity that we have today to celebrate the remarkable vision of a governor and his predecessors. Today, we commissioned the economic nerve centre of our corridor. In less than seven years, you, Dapo Abiodun, have demonstrated commitment, vision and patriotism to grow Nigeria. We celebrate you for national development. I have no regret for whatever we have done with you. As your president, I am pleased to see that the increase from revenue from federal allocation is being effectively and judiciously used to build our country. I congratulate the people of this great State for supporting the government that is delivering measurable progress, and I thank you for your continued faith in our country.”

As the president noted, the airport is connected to independent power supply, while cargo/logistics operations infrastructure is linked to trade and export systems. Tinubu enthused: “Our investment is about our people. Today’s foundation is for tomorrow’s prosperity.” He said Abiodun’s projects show “What is possible when vision is matched with discipline.” He said his “Renewed Hope” Reforms are not abstract, but already increasing resources to states , enabling states to fund projects. He also expressed optimism that Nigeria will defeat banditry and terrorism. Returning to Abiodun’s projects, Tinubu said the electric bikes are “a shift from fossil fuels and a “smart response to modern transportation needs.”

Beaming with smiles, Governor Dapo Abiodun praised President’s reforms: foreign exchange unification, fuel subsidy removal, public finance repositioning, improved tax administration, digitisation, and agency strengthening. He lauded the landmark federal initiatives, including the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas programme, NELFUND, the ongoing rail modernization, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Badagry Sokoto highway, and oil and gas sector reforms.

As he noted on the occasion, Ogun State’s Building Our Future Together agenda had meant, among other things, closing the infrastructure gap to leverage proximity to Lagos. He indicated that Ogun IGR had risen from ₦40bn to ₦250bn, and its GDP from ₦4tn to ₦17tn in seven years. He said that the Gateway International Airport built from ground zero has a 4km runway, control tower, aviation safety systems and cargo facilities, and is designed as an aerotropolis (airport city). He unfolded the state-owned airline, Gateway Air, with two Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft, with inaugural cargo flight and over 5flights scheduled. He spoke of the Gateway International Convention, Conference and Exhibition Centre’s groundbreaking and the Nigeria Customs Service Village in the aerotropolis.

Abiodun also spoke of road infrastructure, saying that his administration had constructed 1,600km of roads, including the Epe Ijebu Ode expressway, Sagamu Interchange-Papalanto Expressway, Sango Abeokuta expressway, Sagamu Iperu Ode Remo Sapade expressway (Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressway), Ilishan Iperu road, and the Airport road linking to Sagamu Benin expressway.

In the area of housing, Abiodun mentioned the Muhammadu Buhari Estate with 100 units of semi and fully detached houses; and the over 7,000 affordable homes built across the state. He mentioned the 140 primary health care centers built by his administration; the 200-bed Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence; the 34.1 megawatt Onijanganjangan Independent Power Project, and the provision of modern tractors. He mentioned the 100 pickup vehicles for law enforcement, and lauded the President for specific approvals: – Sagamu-Ijebu Ode portion of Sagamu-Benin Expressway, the takeover of Tai Solarin University, the approval for commercial oil exploration in Ogun waterside, and the planned reactivation of OKLNG project.

If anyone wanted to know how the President felt about his visit to Ogun, the President himself made that task easy. Here is his take on the visit: “I returned to Ogun State today with a full heart. What I saw in Iperu is the kind of progress we must insist on as a nation. Quite deliberate, and built to last. The Gateway Cargo Airport stands as proof of what is possible when vision is matched with discipline. As I said, “Our investment is about our people. Today’s foundation is for tomorrow’s prosperity.” I acknowledge Governor Dapo Abiodun for his focus and consistency. Development is not about noise. It is about decisions that improve lives. From the aircraft launched today to the electric bikes, tractors, and security assets, this is what progress should look like. Practical, real, and visible. “Development must touch every level,” and I am pleased to see that principle taking shape in Ogun State. We are building for people, and we are building for prosperity.” As they say in Ogun, “Ìṣẹ́ yá. I say, “Ìṣẹ̀ ń lọ.” The work continues.”

That, evidently, is an unassailable verdict.

Akinmade is Special Adviser, Information and Strategy to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun