The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that the Ibadan airport will be shut down for six months for maintenance and upgrade works to take place. This announcement was made by Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA.
The closure is expected to start from early March, and it is aimed at upgrading the airport’s facilities to international standards. The upgrade works are part of the efforts to transform the Ibadan airport into a world-class facility.
The announcement comes barely eight months after President Bola Tinubu approved the upgrade of the Ibadan Domestic Airport to an international airport. The approval was made in June, and it paved the way for the upgrade works to commence.
According to Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State Governor, the upgrade works will include the expansion and extension of the runway, as well as the general upgrade of facilities. The governor explained that upon completion of the upgrade works, the state will begin to receive international flights from anywhere in the world into Ibadan.
In January 2025, Governor Makinde stated that the construction of a new international terminal was part of the efforts to upgrade the facility to international standards. The governor made this announcement during a ceremony to mark the commencement of the upgrade works.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the first phase of the project was held on September 18, 2024. The ceremony marked the beginning of the upgrade works, which are expected to transform the Ibadan airport into a world-class facility.
The six-month closure of the Ibadan airport is expected to have a significant impact on the state’s economy. However, the upgrade works are expected to bring long-term benefits, including increased economic growth and development.
