The Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Eyitope Ogunbodede, says the institution has serious plans to build an airport within its campus.
While speaking at the 2019 Faculty of Technology International Conference, Ogunbodede said a proposal has already been built for the airport, according to The Punch.
The VC said the airport would serve as a training ground for the planned aeronautic programme of the university located in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
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.
"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."
CEO of Tricontinental Group Nig Ltd., Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, delivered the keynote address on the conference's theme, "Diversification of Developing Economies: Imperatives for Sustainable Environment and Technological Innovations".
He said Nigeria must show commitment towards technological innovation, and support for research and development.
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