By Kreovant Media

The story of Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport is gathering momentum, with more than 10,000 passengers passing through its airport since commercial flight operations began on December 10, 2025.

But beyond the passengers, aircraft and expanding connections, the state’s partnership with United Nigeria Airlines is beginning to tell another story, one in which the benefits of aviation reach communities far removed from the runway.

And guess what? United Nigeria Airlines is not just flying people, they are touching lives by building a health centre for the host community.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji disclosed the passenger figures as the state intensified efforts to attract private-sector investment, while the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, demonstrated another dimension of the partnership by donating a community health centre, a solar-powered borehole and a perimeter fence to Aso-Ayegunle in Ado-Ekiti, where the Airport is located.

The facilities, commissioned by Oyebanji, brought the airline’s corporate social responsibility initiative into the heart of a community where access to essential services remains central to everyday life.

For the airline, the gesture was more than a philanthropic intervention, it was a statement that the value of an aviation partnership should not be measured only by the number of passengers carried or the destinations connected, but also by the difference it makes in the lives of people.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Okonkwo said the project reflected the company’s determination to ensure that communities benefited from its presence, while acknowledging the Ekiti State Government’s approach to partnerships with private businesses.

According to him, the state government had deliberately chosen collaboration with private operators as a strategy for delivering services, rather than relying solely on government-owned enterprises.

He said, “This project is special. It is special because of what we found when we came to this community. It is also special because the governor of this state has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to public-private partnerships. His support has been amazing.

“Some states may choose to establish their own airlines, and that is perfectly fine with us. However, in terms of strategy and policy, this government and this governor have chosen to partner with the private sector, and they selected us among many others.

“There was no application and no interview. They conducted their due diligence and reached out to us. They were satisfied that the services we offer and the fleet we have could meet their needs.

“We were touched by the confidence they reposed in us, and we felt we should show the world that this kind of partnership works. That is why we have come here with this special intervention”.

Oyebanji, however, recognised that providing a building alone would not guarantee healthcare delivery, assuring residents that the state government would supply the personnel, equipment and medical consumables needed to make the centre functional.

The commitment places the next phase of the project in ensuring that the facility moves beyond a commissioned structure to become a dependable point of care for residents.

With the airport recording more than 10,000 passengers and its airline partner extending its involvement into community development, Ekiti’s aviation partnership is taking on a broader meaning.

The challenge ahead is to sustain the momentum, ensuring that the connections made in the air translate into lasting opportunities and improved services on the ground.