Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has rejected a claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Federal Government provided N50 billion for the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport.
Wike had reportedly made the claim during a television programme on Monday, saying President Bola Tinubu’s administration supported Oyo State with the funds for the airport project.
However, Makinde, speaking at a town hall meeting in Katsina on Tuesday, disputed the claim, insisting that the airport upgrade was being financed entirely by the Oyo State Government.
According to the governor, the Federal Government did not give either him or the state N50 billion for the project.
“The President did not give Oyo State N50bn or me to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State,” Makinde said.
Makinde’s media aide, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, also dismissed Wike’s claim, saying the project had received presidential approval on the condition that it would be executed at no cost to the Federal Government.
He said the state government had funded various aspects of the upgrade, including the expansion and strengthening of the runway, improvements to airfield lighting and navigation systems, apron upgrades and other supporting infrastructure.
The state government also said work was ongoing on a new international terminal intended to increase the airport’s capacity for passenger and cargo operations.
The dispute over the source of funding comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general election, with Makinde currently seeking the presidency under the Allied Peoples Movement.
The Oyo governor has maintained that the airport project is a state-funded initiative, while the claim attributed to Wike has been publicly disputed by Makinde and his administration.
