The Oyo State Government has denied receiving ₦50 billion from the Federal Government for the reconstruction and upgrade of the Ibadan Airport, describing the claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as false.
Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, made the clarification in a statement on Tuesday, September 22, saying the Federal Government’s approval for the airport project was expressly granted on the condition that it would be undertaken at no cost to the Federal Government.
According to Olanrewaju, President Bola Tinubu’s minute on the proposal submitted by Governor Seyi Makinde for the reconstruction and upgrade of the airport stated: “Approved at no cost to the Federal Government.”
He said the records of the approval were available to both the Presidency and the Oyo State Government.
Olanrewaju said the clarification became necessary following Wike’s statement on a television programme on Monday that President Tinubu had “settled” Oyo State with ₦50 billion for the airport reconstruction.
He said the Oyo State Government had fully financed the transformation of the facility in line with the Federal Government’s approval.
The projects, according to him, include the expansion and strengthening of the runway, upgrade of airfield lighting and navigational systems, apron improvements, construction of supporting infrastructure such as the dualised Airport Road, enhanced aviation safety installations, and ongoing construction of a modern international terminal.
“Every component of the upgrade has been executed and funded solely by Oyo State,” he stated.
Olanrewaju described Wike’s statement as “both untrue and unfortunate,” adding that the minister “should have sought knowledge on the matter before going on air.”
He further said the claim did not originate from any Federal Executive Council decision, presidential approval or statutory aviation infrastructure process.
“It is not an official communication of the Federal Government. It is not backed by documentation. It is not grounded in fact,” he said.
The governor’s aide explained that aviation infrastructure funding followed due-process channels involving the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other regulatory bodies, adding that such processes were transparent, traceable and publicly verifiable.
“None of them reflects the figure Mr. Wike has circulated,” he said.
Olanrewaju said the state government would not allow what he described as misinformation to be “weaponised for political point-scoring” or used to distort public understanding of government finances.
He stressed: “Let it be stated unambiguously: The Federal Government did not give Oyo State ₦50 billion for the Ibadan Airport upgrade.”
He urged public officials to exercise restraint and responsibility and refrain from making what he described as unfounded statements capable of misleading citizens and politicising development efforts.
