Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has rejected a claim by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Federal Government provided ₦50 billion to support the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport.
Wike made the claim during a TVC appearance on Monday, saying President Bola Tinubu’s administration had supported Oyo State with ₦50 billion for the airport project.
Makinde, however, disputed the claim while speaking at an APM town hall meeting in Katsina on Tuesday. He said the Federal Government did not give him or Oyo State the alleged ₦50 billion.
According to Makinde, the Ibadan Airport upgrade is being funded entirely by the Oyo State Government.
Oyo Government provides further explanation
The governor’s media aide, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, also rejected Wike’s claim.
He said the approval given by President Tinubu for the airport project stated that the reconstruction and upgrade would be carried out at no cost to the Federal Government.
The Oyo Government said it has therefore been responsible for funding work including the runway upgrade, airfield lighting, navigation systems, apron improvements, airport road infrastructure and the ongoing international terminal project.
Airport project
Makinde launched the upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in September 2024 at an initial cost of ₦41 billion.
The domestic terminal upgrade was completed in October 2025, while work on the international terminal is still ongoing.
What Wike said
Wike’s statement and Makinde’s response now present two different accounts of the funding of the airport project.
Wike says the Tinubu administration provided ₦50 billion to support the project.
Makinde says no such money was received and that Oyo State has funded the project itself.
The conflicting claims have not yet been resolved publicly through a jointly released financial record or other documentation.
Monafrika’s Take
The dispute raises an important public-interest question: Where did the money for the Ibadan Airport project actually come from?
With both sides giving different accounts, documentary evidence from the relevant government agencies would provide the clearest way to establish the source and amount of funding.
For a project involving billions of naira in public funds, transparency over who paid, how much was paid and how the money was spent matters as much as the airport’s physical development.
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