The Ogun State Government has dismissed claims questioning its ownership of Gateway Air, insisting that the airline remains a fully state-owned initiative despite its operational partnership with a private aviation firm.
The clarification follows growing public debate over the structure of the newly launched airline, with critics alleging that the state does not have full control of the project. However, government officials described such claims as misleading and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on New Media, Emmanuel Ojo, said the state retains full ownership of the airline’s aircraft, while flight operations have been outsourced to ValueJet due to its technical expertise and regulatory experience.
According to him, the partnership represents a strategic decision aimed at ensuring efficiency and sustainability, particularly in the early stages of the airline’s operations. He explained that rather than immediately taking on the complexities of running a full-scale airline, the government opted for a model that leverages the capacity of an established indigenous operator.
Ojo noted that ValueJet’s prior operations within Ogun State further strengthened the collaboration, adding that the airline had already been running scheduled flights between the state and Abuja before the official commissioning of the airport. This, he said, positions Gateway Air for a smoother and more commercially viable take-off.
The aide also took aim at critics of the project, accusing them of attempting to politicise what he described as a landmark achievement in the state’s infrastructure and economic development drive.
He maintained that the launch of Gateway Air marks a significant milestone under the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun, stressing that the initiative reflects a clear vision to boost connectivity, investment and economic growth within the state.
Despite the controversy, the government reiterated its commitment to the project, emphasising that the operational model adopted aligns with global best practices where asset ownership and service delivery can be separated to achieve efficiency.
Analysts say the development highlights a growing trend among sub-national governments to adopt public-private partnership models in infrastructure projects, particularly in capital-intensive sectors such as aviation.
