Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has explained that technical issues, particularly the inadequate runway, prompted the decision to relocate the state’s planned airport project from Ido-Osun to Akoda, Ede.
On Tuesday, residents and indigenes of Ido-Osun in Egbedore local government area staged protests against the governor’s decision to move the airport to Ede, which is Adeleke’s hometown.
Lai Oriowo, a member of the airport project’s technical committee, defended the move, saying it was based on technical and practical considerations, not politics. He outlined several key issues with the Ido-Osun site that made it unsuitable for the project.
“The existing runway at Ido-Osun, measuring just 1.67 kilometers, did not meet the necessary standards,” Oriowo said. “A standard airport requires a minimum 4.8 km runway, and the runway for a class 4E aircraft should be 3,600 meters long with an additional safety distance of 750 meters at each end. The available length at Ido-Osun is just 3,250 meters.”
Oriowo also pointed to other infrastructure issues, including the location of the runway relative to Adeleke Secondary School and nearby settlements, which would need to be relocated. He further explained that the site’s drainage and culvert systems were inadequate for an airport, with the existing 65-meter culvert falling far short of the required 150 meters.
The project at Ido-Osun, which is now under the control of the Nigerian Air Force, will continue to serve as a training facility and alternate airport under an existing Memorandum of Understanding between the state government and the Air Force.
Despite the state’s explanation, the decision has drawn criticism. Adewale Adebayo, chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Osun, condemned the relocation, accusing Governor Adeleke of nepotism. “This is pure nepotism and anti-democratic,” Adebayo said. “He is governing Osun as if he is the governor of Ede alone, while other communities that voted for him are being neglected.”
The airport project, initially planned for Ido-Osun, was envisioned as a major infrastructure initiative aimed at improving transportation, attracting investment, and boosting economic growth in Osun State.