Ibadan Airport to Undergo 6-Month Upgrade to International Status, NCAA Announces Closure

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced the temporary closure of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan, Oyo State, for six months to pave way for essential maintenance and upgrade works.

A statement by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, on Friday, via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, said the shutdown was expected to start in early March.

Achimugu said: “Subject to new information, Ibadan airport may be shut down for six months for maintenance/upgrade, starting from early March.”

Persecondnews recalls that Oyo Gov. Seyi Makinde had announced in Ibadan that the President approved the upgrade of the Ibadan Domestic Airport, Alakia, to an international airport in June 2024.

Makinde explained that upon completion of the airport upgrade, which will include the expansion and extension of the runway and the general upgrade of the facilities, the state will begin to receive international flights from anywhere in the world into Ibadan.

Furthermore, in January 2025, the governor announced the construction of the new international terminal as part of efforts to upgrade the facility to international standard.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the project’s first phase took place on September 18, 2024.