The Kogi State government has announced that it received approval from the federal government to build an international airport in Zariagi, near the Lokoja metropolis.

Kingsley Fanwo, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, said the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development gave the approval.

In a statement on Friday in Lokoja, Mr Fanwo said the aviation ministry conveyed the approval to the state government in a letter dated October 9.

Mr Fanwo said the administration of Usman Ododo was committed to the timely completion of the project with strict adherence to regulatory standards.

“Having an airport in Kogi will definitely serve 10 other states and reduce traffic on the Lokoja-Abuja road. It will also decongest the traffic at the Abuja International Airport.

“Governor Ododo’s administration has considered this project a top priority one for Kogi State to have an international airport and join the league of the aviation hub.

“The project will not only boost the economy of the state; it will also create jobs and bring the potential of the state to the global scene,” Mr Fanwo said.

He said the governor is determined to hire the best hands in the industry to make the project a huge success, stating that aviation is an industry of trust and standards.

The commissioner thanked President Bola Tinubu and the aviation minister for the approval, which he said will help to further develop Kogi.

According to him, the airport will also have capacity for cargo, which is one of the key government focuses in the project.

Mr Fanwo assured the people of Kogi that Mr Ododo’s administration would continue to execute laudable projects to consolidate the gains of the last eight years of ex-Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration.

Zariagi is a very strategic community that already boasts of an airstrip, which the aviation ministry was satisfied with.

(NAN)