Gateway Airport: Air Peace will launch London flights this summer, says Onyema

The Airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, disclosed this during an interview with journalists after inspecting the airport’s facilities alongside Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.

The visit followed the official commissioning of the airport by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to Onyema, Air Peace will operate flights connecting the airport to both London Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport, marking a significant milestone for Ogun State’s aviation sector.

Abiodun, in his remark, announced plans to further expand the airport’s ecosystem with the construction of an international conference and convention centre, alongside a 550-room five-star hotel.

He said the development would position the state as a hub for global business and tourism.

The governor, therefore, expressed confidence that the Gateway International Airport could soon become Nigeria’s third busiest aviation hub, after Lagos and Abuja.

NIGERIA NAMED TOP FOOD WASTER IN AFRICA

The European Union, along with the Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, has called for urgent action to end food waste and promote sustainable consumption and production.

This was disclosed in a statement by the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS on Monday.

They noted that when food is wasted, the water, energy, and labour that went into producing it are also wasted, while accelerating climate change and undermining global efforts to build a zero-waste circular future.

Zissimos Vergos, Deputy Ambassador, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, while Speaking in Abuja, during the commemoration of this year’s International Zero Waste Day, with the theme “Food waste reduction – minimisation and valorisation,” disclosed that Nigeria wastes roughly 38 million tonnes of food every year, more than any other country on the African continent.

The Nigerian government has initiated efforts to tackle food waste, including developing a Circular Economy Roadmap and establishing an Interministerial Circular Economy Committee. Vergos shared three key lessons from the EU’s experience: investing in rural infrastructure, promoting value-added products, and incorporating zero-waste education into school curricula.

Tinubu visits Ogun, commissions airport, airline, other infrastructure projects

President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, visited Ogun State, to commission and inspect a sweeping array of landmark projects, an indication of its bold stride toward infrastructural transformation, economic expansion and improved service delivery.

At the forefront of the visit is the commissioning of the Gateway International Airport, Iperu—an ambitious project designed to position Ogun State as a major aviation and logistics hub in Nigeria.

President Tinubu also commissioned two newly acquired aircraft under Gateway Air, marking the official takeoff of the state’s aviation initiative in partnership with ValueJet.

Further underscoring the airport’s economic potential, the President will witness a cargo operations showcase facilitated by SAHCOL, signaling readiness for full-scale logistics and freight activities.

In addition, a number of strategic assets will be commissioned at the airport, including 1,000 electric bikes under the state’s EV mobility initiative, 80 security vehicles to strengthen safety architecture, and a fleet of agricultural tractors aimed at boosting food production and supporting farmers.

Beyond the airport, the President will commission the Ilishan–Iperu Airport Road, a vital link connecting the new aviation hub to surrounding communities and enhancing accessibility.