Osun State Government has partnered Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to build Africa’s first and largest aviation city in Ido-Osun, in Egbedore Local Government Area state.
Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, on Wednesday handed over the runway and airport corridor for the commencement of the construction phase of the project to NAF.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amoo, who led the NAF delegation to Osogbo, the state capital, lauded Oyetola for what he described as a major milestone in the state’s history, describing the partnership as another developmental stride in the state.
According to him, the aviation city is sequel to the relocation of the Research and Development Centre of the Force from Kaduna to Osogbo in 2021, in addition to the existing Nigerian Air Force Institute of Safety and a Special Operation Force Group at Ipetu Ijesa.
Amoo, who was represented by the Principal Director, Air Force Research and Development Centre, Air Vice Marshal M. O. Onilede, said:
“The project would include an aircraft manufacturing plant, a maintenance repair organisation and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle production centre, amongst others.
“The runway is therefore a critical requirement for these facilities. This is why this occasion today is not only a laudable one but a major milestone towards many other achievements.”
He added: “NAF intends to develop an aviation city in Osun State. Discussions are already ongoing with the necessary foreign partners and work will commence as soon as agreement is reached. The project will include an aircraft manufacturing plant, maintenance-repair organisation and command area vehicle production center among many others. It will be the first of its kind in the continent. A runway is therefore a critical requirement for these facilities.”
Handing over the official documents of the runway and airport corridor to the Chief of Air Staff, Oyetola said his administration has taken the bull by the horn to ensure that the state keeps the dream of having an airport in Osun alive.
He added that the handover ceremony signalled the beginning of another mutually-beneficial relationship with the NAF to speed up the construction and accelerate the completion of the airport.
“As a government that is desirous of
diversifying the state’s economy, we realised early enough that the completion of the Osun airport would aid our economic transformation efforts. We,however, became helpless when confronted with the humongous amount required to make the dream a reality, especially in the face of competing demands in a depressed
economy.
“As a government given to creative alternatives to meet societal needs, we embarked on a diplomatic shuttle, first by visiting the Minister of Aviation and later the Chief of Air Staff, all in the quest to develop the airport corridor,” the governor said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Remi Omowaye, described the project as critical to the state’s drive to become a viable investment destination.
Newspeak