The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao said that the proposed Nigerian Air Force base in Ekiti would provide operational support services to Nigerian Air Force platforms operating in the South-West Geo-political Zone of the country and bolster response to security challenges in Ekiti, as well as, other states from the zone.
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari has authorized the acquisition of modem and well-equipped platforms to boost Nigerian Air Force air power employment and projection capabilities as well as air combat training.
Amao spoke in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital on Thursday during the Turning of the sod for the construction of the Nigeria air force operational base in Ekiti state.
According to him, “This is in addition to over 49 aircraft already procured and inducted into the inventory of the Nigerian Air Force. A few of these additional platforms were delivered to the Nigerian Air Force in December 2022 while others are to be delivered in coming months.
“Consequently, additional new main Bases with equipped aircraft hangars as well as alternate bases would be required for the seamless operation of some of the platform new aircraft in line with the principles of aircraft dispersal and air asset optimisation.
“May I also place it on record that an operational unit, with a designated array of the expected aircraft, has already been earmarked for deployment to the base. This proposal, along with similar proposals for Sokoto and Daura are already with the Air Council for consideration.
“When approved, the deployment of these aircraft would further bolster our response to security challenges in the Ekiti State and other States in the South-West Geo-political Zone, as well as the country in general.”
Speaking, the Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji said that the government would soon create an aviation economy where aviation-related services, such as Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Operation (MRO), Aviation Hospital, Aviation Training, Cargo Handling, Tourism Marketing, among others would be provided.
He said the state would take advantage of its geography as a state with almost equidistant location to the political and commercial capitals of the nation, saying that, without aviation and security infrastructure, “our ambition to grow our tourism infrastructure and prosperity agenda will remain a pipe dream.”
The governor said, “Let me reiterate the fact that the decision to have an airport in our State is primarily for economic, security and tourism development. As a landlocked state, we need to open and connect our economy to the rest of the world.
“As an agrarian economy, one of the ways to expand our economy is to find a way to connect our farm produce to the international market and to develop new frontiers of economic opportunities.
“We know that our overall vision of making Ekiti the ultimate medical tourism destination in West Africa with the first class medical services being provided at Afe Babalola Multisystem Hospital and other tertiary medical facilities such as Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti and Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti cannot be realised without the presence of virile aviation sector.”
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