Osun airport relocation based on technical considerations, says committee
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
The Osun Airport Project Technical Committee has highlighted several technical challenges with the Ido-Osun site initially proposed for the airport, leading to its relocation to a new site in Ede.
The decision to relocate the proposed MKO Airport from Ido-Osun to Ede, the hometown of Governor Ademola Adeleke, has sparked controversy.
However, a member of the technical committee, Lai Oriowo, clarified during a media briefing in Osogbo on Wednesday that the decision was driven purely by technical considerations, devoid of political influence.
Oriowo, an aviation expert, explained that the Ido-Osun site was found unsuitable for a full-fledged airport due to significant technical deficiencies. Instead, he said, the site would now be repurposed as a training facility for the Nigerian Air Force, in line with an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the Air Force.
The committee’s findings identified critical issues with the Ido-Osun site, including:
Runway Length and Standards: The existing runway, measuring 1.67 km, falls significantly short of the required minimum standard of 4.8 km. For a Class 4E aircraft, the necessary runway length is 3,600 x 45 meters, with an additional 750 meters on both approaches for the Runway End Safety Area (RESA), making the total required length 5,100 meters. The available dimension of 3,250 meters at Ido-Osun is inadequate.
Structural and Location Challenges: The current runway alignment would necessitate the relocation of Adeleke Secondary School and the displacement of several settlements. In addition, the existing culverts, measuring 65 meters, are insufficient, as the required culvert length should be 150 meters to cover both the runway width and its strip.
Misplaced Infrastructure: Key infrastructure such as the terminal building, control tower, and fire and rescue facilities were found to be wrongly located relative to the runway.
Access Constraints: The site’s access is limited to the Osogbo-Ede Road, further restricting its viability as an airport location.
Insufficient Safety Areas: At one end of the runway (04-approach threshold), only 120 meters of available land exists between the runway and Adeleke Secondary School. At the other end (22-approach threshold), only 150 meters of space is available, which is below safety standards.
Given these challenges, the committee engaged with aviation authorities in Abuja, who subsequently visited the state and recommended an alternative site in Akoda for the airport project.
Oriowo disclosed that the committee had advised the state government to:
- Conduct soil testing at the new site.
- Initiate an Environmental Impact Assessment.
- Develop a topographic map and perform wind-rose analysis for the location.
- Draft a preliminary design for the proposed airport.
These steps, Oriowo noted, are critical for ensuring the new airport project meets international aviation standards.
