Ogun Gateway Cargo Airport that was once celebrated as a monumental leap in aviation and agro-logistics has now been brought to its knees, literally drowned in floodwater.
A major access road leading to the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, was submerged on Friday, June 21st, after a torrential downpour, cutting off vehicular access and raising alarm bells over the integrity of infrastructure surrounding the multibillion-naira airport project.
In a captured video of the chaotic scene, motorists stranded, commuters wading knee-deep in murky water, and voices of frustration echoing over what many called a “national embarrassment.” The flooded stretch, meant to connect the airport seamlessly to the Sagamu–Benin Expressway, has instead spotlighted critical engineering lapses, particularly the absence of a sustainable drainage system.
Though the Gateway Cargo Airport has been hailed by the Ogun State government as “97% complete” and equipped with Nigeria’s longest runway, a fire station, control tower, and agro-processing hub, Friday’s incident has cast a long shadow over the project’s long-term viability.
Experts say the signs were there. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had issued forecasts warning of severe rainfall and flooding across Ogun towns like Sagamu, Iperu, and Ota. Yet, there was no visible effort to safeguard vital entry points to the airport, an omission that many believe undermines the very purpose of a cargo aviation facility.
“This is beyond poor planning; it is negligence,” remarked a senior aviation logistics consultant. “You can’t operate an international cargo hub without guaranteeing 24-hour access in all weather conditions. If trucks can’t get in or out, the project becomes ceremonial.”
What makes the situation even more regrettable, critics argue, is the history behind the airport.
The vision for the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport was originally birthed by Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a former Ogun State Governor and now Senator of the Federal Republic. Daniel’s administration laid the foundational groundwork for what he envisioned as a strategic agricultural export hub and aviation corridor for the entire Southwest region. His passion for the project was widely acknowledged, and his foresight, often praised by aviation experts and investors alike.
However, current developments suggest that Daniel’s legacy project may be at risk of being ridiculed by what critics describe as lackluster commitment and political sidelining from the present Ogun State administration. Several stakeholders have raised concerns that the spirit of continuity and completion has been replaced with optics and public relations stunts.
“Otunba Daniel saw the future. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing today is a gross mismanagement of that vision,” said a local community leader in Ilishan. “A true game-changer is now being sabotaged by short-sightedness.”
As the silence from the Ogun State Ministry of Works and the Airport Development Authority lingers, public outcry continues to swell. Many are demanding not just remedial work on the flooded road, but a full-scale audit of infrastructure quality, project supervision, and contract compliance.
Observers say if swift, transparent corrective measures are not taken, the Gateway Cargo Airport risks becoming yet another cautionary tale in Nigeria’s long list of abandoned or underutilized mega-projects.
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By Folake Sokoya
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