Gateway's First Flight: Faces , Voices, Dreams Take Off From Ogun

When the ValueJet aircraft carrying roughly 90 passengers lifted off from Gateway International Airport, Ilishan-Remo, at 10:10 a.m., the moment was more than symbolic. For many on board and on the ground, it was personal—a fulfillment of dreams, a reprieve from long journeys, and a new chapter for their home state.

Inside the cabin, among the passengers, was Mrs. Adesuwa Adeyemi, a teacher from Sagamu. She told me she had been nervous yet excited — “When I heard we would board from Ilishan instead of Lagos, I almost pinched myself. I left home at 6 a.m. — but now, my travel time has been cut drastically.” Her daughter, seated beside her, nodded and added, “It means more time with my mother and less stress.”

At the departure lounge, Mr. Emeka Okoye, a small-scale trader who travels to Abuja frequently, said he had saved more than ₦50,000 in transport and lodging over the years just trying to catch flights from Lagos. “I was spending a night in Lagos before my flight; that’s gone now. This airport will change my business calendar,” he said, eyes bright.

Out on the tarmac, as locals and officials watched the plane taxi, Mrs. Folakemi Oladele, a civil servant in Abeokuta, shared her emotion: “I kept telling my children, ‘When Ogun gets its own airport, we will fly from home.’ Seeing the plane roll out, I told them, ‘That day is here.’ My husband couldn’t believe I overcame his skepticism to bring us here.”

Over his shoulder in a quiet corridor, Senator Shuaib Salisu (Ogun Central), boarding among the first, spoke of pride and possibility. “Taking a flight from your own state is historic. I remind myself, this is not just for Ogun — it sends a signal to other states: you can dream bigger.” 

As passengers moved to find their seats, Governor Dapo Abiodun addressed them personally. “This is not like AI—this is real,” he told the crowd, tapping into skepticism he said some had voiced. “We once started this place as an idea; today we fly.” 

Walking the terminal after departure, the mood was electrifying. A few children queued to peer through windows at the departing plane; elders clasped hands in prayer; airport workers took selfies beside the jet. To most, it wasn’t just infrastructure — it was validation.

The inaugural flight may be just the first, but for Mrs. Adeyemi, Mr. Okoye, Mrs. Oladele and many others, it’s the start of more than smoother journeys: it’s a chance to belong, to invest, and to see their state reach for the skies.