The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will establish an aircraft manufacturing plant in Osogbo, Osun.
Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, the Chief of Air Staff, who made this known in Osogbo at the official handing over of the proposed state airport Runway and Airport Corridor to the Nigerian Air Force by the Osun Government,said the development was part of the agreement reached with the state government to take over the state airport site, had already moved its Research and Development Centre from Kaduna to Osogbo.
He was represented at the event by AVM M.O Onilede.
He disclosed that NAF would also develop an “Aviation City” in Osun, adding that discussions were already ongoing with necessary foreign partners and that work would commence as soon as the agreement was reached.
He said the Aviation City would be the first of its kind in the continent of Africa.
“The project in the state would also include aircraft manufacturing plant, a maintenance repair organisation and an unmanned aerial vehicle production centre, among many others,” he said.
Amao said that Air Force would develop the runway and terminal building of the Osun Airport site as it remains “a critical facility for the Air Force projects and to also aid commercial flights”.
“We are going to develop the runway; we are going to build a terminal that will be dual purpose.Instead of people going to Akure, Ibadan or Lagos to take a flight, once that airport runway is ready, it would be available for civil flight operations,” he said.
Speaking, Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, thanked the NFA for bringing the projects to the state, adding that the airstrip at Ido-Osun airport site was built in 1936 and used by the then African Volunteer Force during the World War II.
Oyetola said the Federal Government gave the state the go ahead to embark on the development of the Airport upon the state appeal, with the hope that its construction would stimulate the socioeconomic development of the state.
“The airport approval was given based on similar financial and technical assistance extended to some state governments at the time.But, while these states today have their airports, ours remain stillbirth until this administration took the bull by the horns.Our untiring efforts to ensure we keep the dream of having an airport in Osun alive birthed today’s occasion,” he said.
ENVIRONMENT
Most Oyo Residence Have No Toilets-UN
Over half of the population of Oyo state have no toilet facilities,the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),has said.
The agency is partnering the state government
to end open defecation in the state, adding that this will help the state achieving universal access to safely manage sanitation.
Speaking at a one-day media dialogue on the launch of Open defecation free roadmap in Oyo state held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, the Chief of WASH, UNICEF, Dr. Jane Baevan said open defecation is dangerous, as contact with human waste can cause diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhea, worm infestation, among others.
She maintained that children are the most affected wherever there is an outbreak of disease.
According to her, Nigeria ranks second among countries practicing open defecation globally, while Oyo is one of the states in this practice.
She said UNICEF has been at the forefront of ensuring that Nigeria has access to safe drinking water supply, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene in our environment and communities.
She added that the launch of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Nigeria and Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign are strategies to jump-start Oyo State’s journey towards ending open defecation.
According to her, “Children suffer mostly during outbreak of disease. This is the reason we must stop open defecation. More than half of the population in Oyo state does not have toilet. Majority of people here do open defecation and we have to stop it.
“The purpose of this event is to understand the background issue. When there is an outbreak of disease like cholera and other diseases, it is the children that are usually affected most. We want to eradicate open defecation. We are asking all of you to support this campaign”.
Also speaking, the Chairman, RUWASSA, Mr. Najeem Omirinde said open defecation is a serous issue but noted that this campaign will prevent the increasing number of open defecation in the state as well as stopping children from being affected by the negative impact of the exercise.
He maintained that the agency is interested in a situation where every house will have a toilet.
According to him, “Open defecation is a serous issue. What we are after is a situation where every individual will have toilet in their houses. The campaign to end open defecation in Oyo state will reach the whole population in Oyo State”.
