Fresh allegations have surfaced connecting former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to the development of a multibillion-naira hospitality and conference complex in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, raising renewed questions about the financing of public infrastructure projects under his administration.
According to multiple sources familiar with ongoing inquiries, investigators have linked the financing of the Ekiti State Airport project initiated during his administration to the mega resort project.
The facility, located in Ilishan-Remo along a rapidly developing corridor near Ogun State’s newly inaugurated airport, is described as a high-end venue for leadership retreats, policy dialogues, and conferences.
The allegations centre on the Ekiti State Airport project, which was commissioned in 2023 shortly before the end of Fayemi’s tenure but has yet to commence full commercial operations.
Critics have repeatedly questioned the project’s cost, pace of delivery, and current utility, with some describing it as underutilised relative to the resources invested.
Sources raising concerns alleged that portions of the funding allocated to the airport project were redirected toward the development of the Amandla facility.
“Funds allocated to the Ekiti airport project, widely criticised as a white-elephant venture, were diverted to finance the construction of the Amandla Resort and Conference Centre, located along a newly developed airport corridor in Ogun State, near the hometown of Governor Dapo Abiodun,” one of the sources said.
Meanwhile, Fayemi has faced scrutiny from Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, over separate allegations of money laundering.
In June 2023, he was questioned by the EFCC at its zonal command office in Ilorin, Kwara State, in connection with an alleged N4 billion laundering case.
Public records confirm that Fayemi and his wife, Erelu Bisi-Adeleye Fayemi, are the founders of the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, an organization established to promote governance and leadership development across Africa.
The Amandla Conference and Resort in Ilishan-Remo serves as the institute’s flagship facility, described by its promoters as a “purpose-built convening ground” for policy engagement.
SaharaReporters learnt that the institute was formally launched in Abuja in February 2025 during events marking Fayemi’s 60th birthday.
The resort itself began operations on March 15, 2026, positioning itself as a premium destination for conferences and executive retreats.
Industry insiders indicate that the facility’s day-to-day operations are managed by Boulevard Hotel Group, led by hospitality executive Ekene Nnabuihe. The management arrangement is said to be part of a broader partnership structure supporting the institute’s programming and commercial activities.
“Ekene Nnabuihe, as the Group CEO of Boulevard Hotel Group, oversees the management and operations of the resort on behalf of the institute,” a source said.
The proximity of the resort to key infrastructure projects in Ogun State, and the timing of its construction, has intensified public scrutiny. Observers note that the corridor where the resort is located is emerging as a strategic hub, benefiting from new transport and aviation investments.
In October 2022, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Fayemi inaugurated the yet-to-be-completed Ekiti Cargo Airport along Ado–Ijan Road in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, amid widespread fanfare.
At the event, Fayemi described the airport as a “dream come true” for the people of Ekiti, stating that it would drive socio-economic growth and accelerate development across the state.
He said the project, which commenced in 2019, was designed to unlock the state’s economic potential by attracting investors, facilitating the transportation of agricultural produce, creating jobs, and opening up Ekiti for rapid development.
He later added in a series of tweets that the facility was built to “world-class standards.”
However, SaharaReporters reported that several critical components of the airport were still incomplete at the time of its inauguration. Notably, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, considered a vital operational facility for any airport, had yet to be fully installed.
According to a labourer at the site who spoke with SaharaReporters, the airport project had not progressed to any significant stage at the time.
“Nothing has been completed at the airport, only the runway was rushed so that a fighter jet could land there. No plane can land there for now except for the likes of the military jet which can land anyway by design. No control system yet. He bribed and used the Nigerian Air Force to deceive the public that he completed the airport and a military aircraft was deployed, flown by an Ekiti indigene,” the source said.
According to the source, attendees of the event first arrived via Akure in neighbouring Ondo State, from where many were transported by helicopter to Ado-Ekiti for the ceremony.
“For now, Fayemi only inaugurated it in his name; so another person doesn’t take the glory. It’s nowhere near completion at all,” the source added.
Later in October 2022, the Project Coordinator of the Ekiti Cargo Airport, Elder Bunmi Awotiku, confirmed that the facility was still under construction.
In a statement, Awotiku noted that key infrastructure required for full operations, including the air traffic control tower, had yet to be completed.
He said, “No control tower. Yes, you’re right. A control tower is required. We are yet to start full operations. For the test flight, what is required is to establish ground-to-air communication between the air traffic controller with the pilot.
“For the information of the public too, we had a mobile tower manned by the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority personnel. No regulation was flouted.
“No markings on the runway. This is equally untrue. We have started the markings from the Active Runway 21 to a reasonable extent to allow a Turboprop lightweight aircraft to land safely. The rain was disturbing when we started the marking. We gave the completion date as August 31st, 2022 but had unfavourable weather. Notwithstanding, we deliver to standards.”
“In aviation, you don’t joke with safety and security,” he added.
Meanwhile, the same airport that Fayemi had inaugurated in 2022 amid fanfare was again formally inaugurated on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, by his successor, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, during the commencement of commercial flight operations.
Speaking at the event held along Ado–Ijan Road, Oyebanji disclosed that the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport had so far cost the state a total of N49.7 billion.
He explained that previous administrations had contributed about N14 billion to the project, while his administration had expended over N34 billion in the past three years to bring the facility to operational status.
The airport project began under the administration of former Governor Ayo Fayose in 2019.
“This moment is not just the official opening of the airport to commercial passenger operations; it is the launch of a new chapter in our transportation infrastructure development journey,” Oyebanji said.
SaharaReporters’ repeated attempts to reach Fayemi on his mobile phone for a response were unsuccessful, as the calls failed to connect.