By Tayo Mabeweje

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” The words of George Bernard Shaw capture the mood currently sweeping across Ogun State and reverberating into Lagos and Ibadan. The Gateway International Airport, newly certified with Nigeria’s first-ever Aerodrome Operational Permit by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and declared fully operational with a calibrated Instrument Landing System/Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME) by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has become more than infrastructure—it has become metaphor, music, and meaning for millions.

From Abeokuta to Lagos Island, from Iperu to Ibadan’s Bodija, the people are speaking with one voice: this is not just Ogun’s victory, it is a Southwest triumph. The jubilant reactions are woven with pride, relief, and poetry, as men and women draw on their lived experiences to measure the significance of what Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, has delivered.

In Kuto Market, 56-year-old produce trader Mojisola Adetunji compared the airport to a long-awaited harvest. “For years we planted without a barn,” she said, gesturing toward baskets of tomatoes. “Now, with this airport, Ogun has a barn that can send our sweat to the world. It is like planting yams and finally having a road to take them to the feast.”

Farmers in Yewa echoed this sentiment. Alani Ogundipe, a cassava farmer, leaned on his hoe as he spoke with quiet emotion: “I have watched crops rot because trucks failed us. This airport is like rain after drought. It will carry our harvests beyond borders, beyond seas.” His words carry the weight of countless rural producers whose dreams of exporting have now been given wings.

Lagosians, accustomed to clogged airports and traffic chaos, have also found a reason to celebrate. Chibuzo Nwankwo, a clearing agent in Apapa, said with a smile, “Lagos has carried the burden of Nigeria’s air travel for too long. Ogun has opened a second gate, and through that gate prosperity will pass.” For him and many others, the new airport is a pressure valve, a promise of relief and efficiency.

In Ibadan’s Bodija Market, the excitement spilled into chants and songs. Adunni Fasanya, a yam seller, declared, “This airport is like a drumbeat across Yoruba land. It is Ogun’s hand, but it is our sound.” Her metaphor reflects the cultural pride that the project has stirred, making the airport not just an economic tool but a shared identity marker for the region.

Elders have invoked memory to frame their admiration. Under the shade of an almond tree in Sagamu, Pa Sunday Adebanjo, an octogenarian, spoke of how airports were once distant symbols of wealth. “We thought they belonged only to Lagos or Abuja. Now Ogun has one, and it is not just any—it is the first with this permit. The Governor has placed a crown on our head.” His voice trembled with pride, and others around him nodded in agreement.

The religious community has also joined the chorus. A cleric in Ijebu-Ode, Imam Abdullahi Kareem, compared the project to answered prayers: “We prayed for development, and God has answered through this Governor. An airport is not built for a day but for generations. It is sadaqah jariyah, a legacy of blessings.” In a church in Abeokuta, Pastor Grace Aluko likened the certification to the parting of the Red Sea. “It opens a path where there was none. Through it, our children will cross into greatness.”

The youth, often skeptical of politics, have found their faith renewed. In Ifo, Segun Aderemi, a mechanic, noted, “When a plane lands, people eat. Drivers, cooks, cleaners, artisans—we will all get jobs. This airport is not steel and glass; it is bread on our tables.” His pragmatic metaphor underscores the direct link between infrastructure and survival for ordinary Nigerians.

Intellectuals, too, have framed the achievement in broader terms. At the University of Ibadan, Dr. Folake Olayemi, a lecturer in international relations, described the airport as a “corridor of knowledge.” She explained, “Airports bring in not only goods but ideas, innovations, and partnerships. Ogun has created a runway for the mind as well as for planes.”

The cultural resonance has been unmistakable. In Abeokuta, a group of drummers celebrated the news with traditional beats, chanting, “Abiodun ti fun wa ni iyẹ̀, our Governor has given us wings.” The metaphoric language captures what has become the dominant narrative: the airport is flight, liberation, and legacy.

Economists predict a ripple effect across sectors. Agro-allied industries will expand, tourism will flourish, logistics companies will multiply, and hospitality businesses will thrive. The metaphor of magnetism has become popular among commentators: the airport is seen as a magnet that will draw opportunities, people, and investments into Ogun and radiate benefits into Lagos, Ibadan, and beyond.

Everywhere, the Governor’s name is spoken with reverence. A teacher in Ota, Mrs. Kehinde Salami, said, “When history is written, they will say this was the man who gave Ogun its wings. Others talked, he acted.” In her classroom, she told her pupils, “One day, you will board a plane from here and remember that leadership is about building the future.”

The jubilation is not just in words but in actions. In Abeokuta, jubilant youths painted murals of planes on walls. In Lagos, business associations issued statements of solidarity. In Ibadan, poets composed verses likening Ogun’s rise to the flight of an eagle.

It is rare for a single project to unify sentiment across such diverse groups, but the Gateway International Airport has achieved just that. It has become a metaphor for possibility, a symbol of shared pride, and a testimony to the power of vision when paired with execution.

The people know what it means to them. As Opeyemi Adigun, a young trader in Sagamu, put it: “This airport is like a key. It opens doors we never thought we had.” His metaphor is both simple and profound—because the Gateway International Airport is indeed a key, not just for Ogun, but for the Southwest, unlocking economic, cultural, and social potentials that have long awaited release.

And in the words of Winston Churchill: “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” Governor Dapo Abiodun has changed Ogun forever, and the Southwest rejoices because his vision has taken flight.

Leadership, when visionary, does more than solve today’s problems—it builds monuments for tomorrow. By securing Nigeria’s first Aerodrome Operational Permit and delivering an airport that meets global standards, Governor Abiodun has inscribed his name in the book of nation-builders. He has given Ogun its wings, the Southwest its pride, and Nigeria its model of what purposeful governance can achieve.

The people are not only celebrating a project; they are celebrating a covenant between leadership and legacy. For generations to come, each plane that rises from Gateway International Airport will carry not just passengers or cargo, but the story of a Governor who dared to dream and made that dream fly.

Tayo Mabeweje

Senior Special Assistant (Media)

Office of the Governor, Ogun State