In a dramatic turn of events, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace Limited, Dr. Allen Onyema, found himself stranded at the Ekiti State Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport over the weekend, despite earlier showering praises on the facility as one of the best in the world.
Onyema had arrived in Ekiti on Saturday morning aboard a Boeing 737 with a 120-seat capacity to attend the convocation ceremony at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), where he received an award presented by former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi. During his visit, he commended the airport’s infrastructure, describing its runway, apron, and terminal as “highly functional, beautiful, and solid.”
“This is the first time a Boeing 737 will be coming to this airport, and as an aviator, I can tell you categorically that this is one of the best airports in the world,” Onyema declared. “Boeing 777 can even land here. It’s just a matter of time before this airport becomes a hub for Nigerian travelers, including pilgrims.”
His endorsement of the airport, which currently only handles chartered flights, seemed to suggest that the long-delayed facility was finally set for full operations.
However, the narrative took a sharp turn when Onyema attempted to depart later that same evening. Sources revealed that his aircraft was unable to take off due to the absence of critical navigational aids at the airport.
“After receiving his award and speaking so highly of the airport, Onyema was left stranded for over 24 hours when his flight couldn’t depart,” a source disclosed. “His Boeing 737 couldn’t establish the necessary coordinates to take off because there were no proper navigational systems in place.”
With no other available flight options, Onyema and his entourage were reportedly forced to spend an additional night in Ekiti.
On Sunday, his pilot allegedly executed a risky maneuver to navigate the aircraft out of the airport and back to Lagos.
The incident once again puts the spotlight on the controversial Ekiti Cargo Airport project, which has been plagued with delays and concerns over its functionality since its grand inauguration in October 2022.
Despite claims that the airport was fully operational, SaharaReporters had previously exposed major infrastructural gaps, including:
An unfinished passenger terminal with incomplete offices and lounges.
A lack of drainage systems, leaving the facility vulnerable to flooding.
A missing Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, a crucial element for safe flight operations.
A previous investigation revealed that the former governor, Kayode Fayemi, allegedly bribed the Nigerian Air Force to provide a fighter jet for the inauguration, creating the false impression that the airport was operational.
Despite these glaring deficiencies, the Ekiti State government has continued to allocate significant funds to the airport. In 2023, the state budgeted billions of naira for further work, raising questions about where previous funds had gone and why the airport remained incomplete.
Even the governor’s Chief of Staff, Niyi Adebayo, admitted that “only military aircraft” could safely land there due to the absence of key navigational aids.
When contacted for a response, Air Peace’s Head of Corporate Communications, Ejike Ndiulo, denied that the issue stemmed from the airport’s lack of infrastructure. Instead, he attributed the delay to bad weather conditions in both Lagos and Ekiti.
“It’s not true that Onyema was stranded. We had a fantastic experience in Ekiti. However, the weather was bad, and flights couldn’t take off. The aircraft had to return to Lagos due to unsafe landing conditions,” Ndiulo stated.
He further emphasized that safety remains Air Peace’s priority, and the airline would never take unnecessary risks in poor weather conditions.
This episode raises concerns about Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, especially when billion-dollar projects like the Ekiti Agro-Allied Airport remain non-functional despite huge investments.
For an airport that has consumed billions of naira, the lack of essential flight safety components such as an operational ATC tower, navigational aids, and proper control systems casts serious doubt on its credibility.
As it stands, the Ekiti airport remains a white elephant project, with more promises than actual progress—an embarrassment underscored by the very public ordeal of an airline CEO who once praised it as a world-class facility.
The incident serves as a stark reminder that infrastructure must match rhetoric. No matter how much praise is showered on a project, fundamental flaws cannot be ignored. Onyema’s ordeal at the Ekiti airport has now fueled public skepticism about Nigeria’s infrastructure claims, particularly in aviation.
If a top aviation executive like Onyema can be stranded for 24 hours at an airport he described as “one of the best in the world,” what does that say about the real state of Nigeria’s aviation sector?
PIONEER NEWS 