Let’s start by looking at the big picture. Where do we want Oyo State to be in the next decade? Surely, you will agree that we are looking at a State that is a major economic hub. The potential for development in the key sectors of agriculture, tourism and solid minerals development is waiting to be tapped by investors within and outside Nigeria. One of the major considerations for investors when coming to a State is interconnectivity - how easily and quickly they can get in and out of a place for business. How can we compete with global markets when people first have to go to Lagos, spend hours fighting the traffic and then head into Ibadan? The wasted man-hours are enough to keep serious investors away.

The economic hub we are trying to create should attract existing companies looking to expand to come and set up business in our city. With an international airport, such expansion is easy to achieve.  We have the potential to be a more attractive destination for businesses looking to establish regional headquarters or expand operations with an international airport.

It is a fact of history that Ibadan is a nodal city, the place where traders arrived with their caravans. I always remember this when I think of the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam with their byline “See, Buy, Fly”. Ibadan has the potential of being the Schiphol of Nigeria with an international airport. We will have more international visitors to Come, See, Enjoy Oyo State tourist attractions. And as they come for business, leisure or bleisure, they will see and enjoy spending their money here as they patronise our local businesses.