The Oyo State Government has dismissed claims that the Federal Government gave the state ₦50 billion for the reconstruction and upgrade of the Ibadan Airport.
The state government said the Federal Government’s approval for the project was granted on the condition that the upgrade would be undertaken at no cost to the Federal Government.
In a statement on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the government said the records of the approval were available with both the Presidency and the Oyo State Government.
The clarification followed a statement reportedly made on Monday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on television that President Bola Tinubu had “settled” Oyo State with ₦50 billion for the airport reconstruction.
Olanrewaju described the claim as untrue and said the Oyo State Government had fully financed the comprehensive transformation of the airport in line with the Federal Government’s approval.
According to him, the project includes the expansion and strengthening of the runway, upgrading of airfield lighting and navigational systems, apron improvements and enhanced aviation safety installations.
He added that the state government had also funded supporting infrastructure, including the dualisation of the Airport Road, while work was ongoing on a modern international terminal aimed at increasing passenger and cargo capacity.
“Every component of the upgrade has been executed and funded solely by Oyo State,” the statement said.
The governor’s aide maintained that Wike’s claim was not supported by any Federal Executive Council decision, presidential approval or statutory aviation infrastructure process.
He argued that aviation infrastructure funding followed due-process channels involving the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other relevant regulatory bodies, adding that none of those channels reflected the ₦50 billion figure mentioned by the FCT Minister.
Olanrewaju urged members of the public to disregard the claim, describing it as misinformation capable of distorting public understanding of government finances.
He said the Oyo State Government would not allow misinformation to be used for political point-scoring or to undermine public trust.
The statement stressed: “Let it be stated unambiguously: The Federal Government did not give Oyo State ₦50 billion for the Ibadan Airport upgrade.”
The Oyo Government, he added, remained committed to transparency, accountability and factual communication, while urging public officials to exercise restraint and responsibility when commenting on government projects and finances.
