United Airline Donates Health Center, Solar Borehole to Ekiti Airport Community
Residents of Aso-Ayegunle in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, are set to gain improved access to healthcare and clean water following the foundation-laying of a community health centre and a solar-powered borehole by United Nigeria Airlines Chairman, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, as part of the airline’s corporate social responsibility to communities hosting key aviation infrastructure.
The intervention targets settlements located close to the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, an area experiencing growing activity since the facility commenced commercial operations late last year.
Okonkwo said the decision to provide both projects followed consultations with government officials on the most pressing needs of residents living around the airport corridor.
According to him, the projects are designed to directly improve public health and quality of life, while also strengthening the relationship between the airline, the state government, and host communities. Construction, he disclosed, is expected to begin next week, with a commitment to complete and hand over the facilities in the shortest possible time.
“We don’t just do business, we are in partnership for development, we impact society. We have a mantra that we fly to unite. We are happy to be here in Ekiti and we are ready to be in other parts of Nigeria and have something that will make people say thank you for being here,” Okonkwo said.
Explaining the choice of projects, he added, “We have come here for the groundbreaking ceremony for a community health centre and solar-powered borehole. This community is close to the airport, United Nigeria is the chosen carrier of the government of Ekiti and we thought of this gesture as part of our corporate social responsibility.
“We made enquiries to the government and government officials about what we could do that would be of impact on the people living around the airport. They came back with a response that it could either be a community medical centre or solar powered borehole. But in our magnanimity, we decided to choose the two of them.
“This is what we have just laid the foundation and we hope that the work will begin next week and by the special grace of God, we will finish the projects as soon as possible for the use of the people.”
Okonkwo also linked the initiative to the airline’s partnership with the Ekiti State Government, commending Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration for selecting United Nigeria Airlines as the state’s carrier.
“We hope we will enjoy greater relationships that will be mutually beneficial,” he said, while urging other corporate bodies to see community investment as a shared responsibility. “It is good to pay back to communities, it is good to pay back to society.”
The state government described the development as a reflection of purposeful collaboration between the public and private sectors. Governor Oyebanji, represented by his Special Adviser on Tertiary Education, Prof. Akeem Azeez, said the projects aligned with the administration’s grassroots development agenda.
Azeez praised Okonkwo and the airline, describing the gesture as an “output of cooperation and synergy between government that has purpose for its people and a responsible corporate organisation like the United Nigeria Airlines as demonstrated.”
He added that the Oyebanji administration has prioritised access to healthcare across the state, noting that over 100 community health centres have been renovated and equipped within the last two years.
“We understand there won’t be any development unless the people are healthy. And this project squarely fits into the agenda,” Azeez said.
For the host community, the projects were received as a rare but timely intervention. Aso-Ayegunle spokesperson, Peter Falade, described the health centre and borehole as unprecedented in the area.
“We will be eternally grateful for the two life-saving projects, the health centre and the solar-powered borehole. Everybody knows water is life, providing water means providing life,” Falade said, assuring that residents would protect the facilities when completed.
The Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, around which the community sits, began commercial operations on December 10, 2025, with United Nigeria Airlines handling the inaugural flight from Abuja.
The state government has disclosed that N49.7 billion was invested in developing the airport, which is expected to boost trade, agriculture, and connectivity in the region.
