Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has said that the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport is ready and will be commissioned in the second week of May.
Okorocha said that the idea behind the project was to connect the state to the rest of the world and boost her economy.
Speaking at a meeting with the Director of Commercial and Development of FAAN, Sadiku Abdulkadir Rafindadi and his entourage at the Government House Owerri on Tuesday, Okorocha expressed the appreciation of Imo people to President Muhammadu Buhari for making the project a reality.
The governor said: “The idea of building the International Cargo Airport is to connect Imo State to the rest of the world.
“We are happy that this project has become a reality and we are waiting for the kind approval of the President to commission the project. When fully commissioned, it will increase and improve the commercial and economic activities of the people here”.
He added that: “This is the biggest Cargo Airport in Nigeria and I am happy you have confirmed it. We are very happy to handover this legacy to the incoming government and our generation yet unborn. Imo State government will extend the existing runway as you requested to enable the boeing 737 and other big Cargo aircrafts to land safely”.
Rafindadi, who presented a letter from the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), Engr. Saleh Dunoma, quoted him as describing the Imo International Cargo Airport as the largest in the country.
In the letter to the governor, the MD said that the governor’s contribution towards the development of the largest Cargo Terminal and warehouses will accelerate the economic development of Imo State and by extension, Nigeria.