THE vice chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State has disclosed plans by the university to build its own airport within the campus to support its aeronautic programme.

Professor Eyitope Ogunmodede who disclosed this on Monday in his remarks at the 2019 Faculty of Technology International Conference said the development is part of the 56-year master plan of the institution.

He said the airport would serve as training ground for the planned aeronautic programme of the university.

He said: “We believe that the future of travel globally is in the air. It is in view of this that we are starting an aeronautic programme. As part of this, we will be having our own airport.

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“We have over 11,000 hectares of land with which we hope to achieve our objective, and we have developed a proposal for the airport. We will be taking it up with the authorities to ensure that we do not only have the aeronautic programme here, but also build an airport that will serve that purpose.

“We want to make OAU the hub of aeronautic studies in Nigeria. Currently, no federal university in the country offers a programme in aeronautic studies. We believe that with OAU taking up this challenge, we can go places with it.

“This idea was contemplated some years ago. Now we are very serious with it. We have the drawings in place and the land has been earmarked. Everything that we need for the airport and to start the programme is ready.”

While speaking on the theme, ‘Diversification of Developing Economies: Imperatives for Sustainable Environment and Technological Innovations’, the keynote speaker, Professor Oluwatoyin Ashiru, lamented that Nigeria is not short on brilliant ideas, but the framework to transform the ideas into reality is what is in short supply.

He noted that ideas that are abandoned in the country thrive in other countries of the world, adding that the difference between Nigeria and other countries is the level of commitment and dedication to development.

Professor Ashiru underscored the need for the country to embark on technological innovation and sustained support for research and development, irrespective of the challenges facing the country.