In what many are calling a defining moment for Ekiti’s economic future, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has approved commercial flight operations at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, effective October 4, 2025.
The long-awaited approval, conveyed to Governor Biodun Oyebanji in a letter dated October 3, transitions the airport from its temporary non-scheduled flight status, which lapsed in December 2024, into a fully licensed commercial hub. The permit, valid for six months in its first phase, signals the beginning of a new chapter in the state’s drive for infrastructural and economic renewal.
Reacting to the development, Australia-based Ekiti-born engineer, Engr. Olaoluwa Dawodu, hailed the NCAA’s decision as “a forward step that will finally open up Ekiti to commerce, tourism, and global investment.”
Dawodu, a Chartered Professional Engineer and Founder of Tite Knox Pty Ltd., who has spent years designing and managing large-scale projects in Australia’s mining industry, said air connectivity remains the lifeblood of any modern economy. “You can’t talk about growth or access to investment without reliable air transport,” he said. “With this approval, Ekiti now stands a chance to play on a larger economic stage.”
Drawing a parallel with Australia’s aviation success, Dawodu cited how airports there contribute about $105 billion to national GDP and support roughly 690,000 full-time jobs. “That’s what an efficient aviation sector does it doesn’t just move people; it moves prosperity,” he added.
He described the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport as a potential “economic gateway” that could revolutionise the state’s agricultural exports, attract investors, and drive industrial expansion. “The ripple effects will be massive from logistics and hospitality to trade and tourism. This is how development takes root,” he said.
Dawodu, who hails from Isan-Ekiti, also used the moment to commend Governor Oyebanji for his “consistent vision and commitment to building sustainable infrastructure that will outlive politics.” He urged Ekiti indigenes in the diaspora to rally behind the governor and channel their expertise and resources homeward.
“This is not the time to stand aside. It’s the time to build, to invest, and to believe again in Ekiti,” he said. “Air connectivity will not only bring in opportunities it will bring our people closer to home.”
The NCAA approval is widely seen as a validation of the state government’s push for economic diversification through infrastructure and agricultural development, marking Ekiti’s official entry into Nigeria’s network of commercially active aviation states
