By Olaniyi Ajibola
In the course of political conversation and general social discourse recently, a discussant rather excitedly submitted”, I think the most interesting thing about Governor Dapo Abiodun is that the man is consistently consistent in all his dealings, obviously his conviction about his capacity for good governance kept him going for many years before becoming Governor eventually, and his dream of making a remarkable impacts is coming to fruition now, just look at this Gateway International Airport and it’s history “.
A careful and painstaking observation of the personality of the Governor would reveal many hidden values necessary for indelible achievements in leadership; from calmness to calculative body language and assertive expressions that encapsulate strong conviction.
These leadership values the Governor possesses constitute a compass of direction with clear mission which culminated into many unprecedented achievements of his administration since Inception, and loudly changed the story of Ogun State within the comity of states.
To put it succinctly, the story of the Gateway International Airport in Ogun State practically separates deception from conviction, it dichotomies inclusive leadership from political chicanery and ultimately puts the issue of clarity of purpose at the front burner of leadership recruitment.
To many residents of Ogun State, the dream of having an airport in the state has become a reality through a visionary leader, who went further to build not an ordinary airport for the sake of it but one that is globally adjudged as a standard airport of rare capacity in the West Africa sub-region.
The remarks of President Bola Tinubu during the commissioning of the project on 4th April gave credence to the creativity and commitment of Prince Dapo Abiodun towards giving Ogun State and Nigeria at large a world-class airport of great impacts in the aviation industry.
From it’s commencement of commercial flights to Abuja and later other cities of Nigeria even long before it’s commissioning and now the first international flights that started with the pilgrimage to the holy land of Mecca , Governor Dapo Abiola is without doubt a fulfilled man of history.
Beyond the euphoria of this historic flight to the holy land, it is also instructive that the Governor is a promoter of religious harmony and it’s sanctity, despite being of Christian faith, the international flight in that airport started with holy pilgrimage to Mecca and not Jerusalem, this is really exemplary.
Speaking ahead of the inaugural flight, the Governor described the journey as the first 4,600-kilometre nonstop international flight from the location of the airport at Iperu, noting that it reflects the administration’s commitment to infrastructure and economic expansion.
“What we celebrate today goes far beyond the arrival and departure of an international aircraft; it is a testament to focus, determination, resilience, commitment, sacrifice, and teamwork,” the governor said.
He further explained that the development opens new pathways for connectivity and positions Ogun State as a hub for commerce and global interaction, as he expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support in ensuring the timely completion of the airport and commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for designating the facility as one of the centres for Hajj operations.
He also charged the pilgrims to be worthy ambassadors of Nigeria by obeying the laws of Saudi Arabia and conducting themselves with discipline and integrity throughout their stay.
In his remarks, NAHCON Chairman, Ismail Yusuf, represented by Commissioner for Hajj Operations, Alhaji Olanrewaju Elegushi, said the new departure point would significantly ease logistics by reducing travel time for pilgrims.
He noted that Gateway International Airport is the first state-owned facility in South-West Nigeria cleared for Hajj operations without limitations, attributing the feat to its modern infrastructure.
In the same vein, the Amir Hajj 2026, Alhaji Shamsideen Apelogun, described the pilgrimage as a spiritual privilege and urged pilgrims to uphold the image of the state and Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Olowu of Owu, Oba Saka Matemilola, and the Chief Imam of Gbagura, Prof. Emeritus Kamaldeen Balogun, commended the project, noting that it has eliminated the stress of travelling to Lagos for international departures.
As the Gateway International Airport becomes a major hub for international travel and pilgrimage operations in Nigeria and particularly in the South West geopolitical zone, Ogun State has fully regained it’s primordial status as undisputable Gateway State.
It is imperative to commend the Governor for his sincerity of purpose, sustained commitment, unwavering resilience and undiluted vision, alongside his team of receptive professionals and intellectuals, who paid profound attention to details throughout without blemish.
Sincerely, Ogun State deserves this type of leadership with human face, considering unpalatable experience of deceit and executive brigandage of the past.
Ajibola is a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Strategic Communications
