The Oyo State Government has denied claims that the Federal Government provided ₦50 billion for the reconstruction and upgrade of the Ibadan Airport, describing the assertion as inaccurate.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, on Tuesday, the state government said the Ibadan Airport project was approved by President Bola Tinubu “at no cost to the Federal Government.”
According to the statement, the records of the approval are available with both the Presidency and the Oyo State Government.
The clarification followed comments attributed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, during a television programme on Monday, where he reportedly stated that President Tinubu had “settled” Oyo State with ₦50 billion for the airport reconstruction project.
The Oyo Government said the airport upgrade has been fully financed by the state, covering projects such as runway expansion and strengthening, improvements to airfield lighting and navigation systems, apron upgrades, aviation safety installations, the dualisation of the Airport Road, and the construction of a new international terminal.
“Every component of the upgrade has been executed and funded solely by Oyo State,” the statement said.
The government argued that Mr Wike’s claim was not supported by any Federal Executive Council decision, presidential approval, or official aviation infrastructure funding process.
It added that aviation infrastructure financing involves established procedures involving the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other regulatory agencies, and that those processes did not reflect the ₦50 billion figure mentioned by the minister.
The state government urged public officials to ensure accuracy in their public statements, saying misinformation about government finances could affect public trust.
“The Federal Government did not give Oyo State ₦50 billion for the Ibadan Airport upgrade,” the statement said, while maintaining that the state remained committed to transparency and accountability.
The statement was issued by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor of Oyo State, dated September 22, 2026.
