Osun State Government, yesterday, handed over the runway and airport corridor for the commencement of the construction of Africa’s first and largest aviation city in Ido-Osun, Egbedore Local Council of the state.
The initiative, according to the government, is a testament to the current administration’s untiring efforts to keep the dream of having an airport in Osun State alive and part of the administration’s relentless efforts to rekindle the collective hope of the citizens and stimulate the state’s economy.
The state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the government had partnered with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to build the aviation city, which would provide civil and military air flight operations in the state.
Oyetola, while handing over the official documents of the runway and airport corridor to the CAS, said his administration had taken the bull by the horns to ensure that the state keeps the dream of having an airport in Osun alive.
He said 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.
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Oladayo Amoo, who led the NAF delegation to Osun State, lauded the governor 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-Ijesha.
Amoo, who was represented by the Principal Director, Air Force Research and Development Centre, Air Vice Marshall M. O. Onilede, said: “The project would include an aircraft manufacturing plant, a maintenance repair organisation and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle production centre, among others.
“It would be the first of its kind on the continent. The runway is therefore a critical requirement for these facilities. This is why this occasion is not only a laudable one but also a major milestone towards many other achievements.”
