…Says Opportunities Abound At Ogun Airport
The Ogun State Government has stated that the state is committed to training indigenous youths in aviation to realise their dreams.
The Chief of Staff to the Ogun State Governor, Dr. Oluwatoyin Taiwo, made this known during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director of Santos Aviation Ltd, Mr. Segun Adesanya, to the the Government House in Abeokuta, to intimate the government of his intention to contribute to the development of the aviation sector of the state through investment.
Welcoming Mr. Adesanya, to the state Dr. Taiwo assured him of the state government’s support towards actualising his project in the state.
The COS stated that the new Ogun Airport at Iperu, Remo was full of opportunities and urged the visiting aviator to take advantage of the several opportunities and invest.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Transport for Ogun state, Engr . Gbenga Dairo, informed Adesanya that the airport project has been ongoing for the past three years, with its runway built to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft.
Dairo disclosed that the airport was given the nod to operate as Sunset Airport but revealed that effort was being made towards getting the cargo airport to operate 24 hours as the equipment for that operation was being awaited.
The Commissioner also disclosed that light aircraft were already using the airport but assured them of speedy approval from the NCAA for commercial operations in the next few months.
Dairo, who was full of praises for the Chief Executive Officer of Santos Aviation, whom he described as the son of the soil, said the state was considering a curriculum on aviation courses in some technical institutions to enable students interested in aviation to participate.
Earlier, while briefing the government representatives on his mission, Adesanya said he intended to give back to society through technology transfer in youth development in the aviation carriers.
Adesanya pointed out that there is a need to involve the state due to the capability of local use in aviation by having potential training for an apprenticeship, that Santos Aviation will not only sign off the students, but will be eligible to obtain Airframe License from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States after taking the FAA examination.
He said it would be done in partnership with local schools, such as technical and Polytechnics, with 18 months of training under the FAA certificates in airframe mechanics, amongst others.
The lack of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in the country, Adesanya said has led to more trained engineers not having the facilities to practice.
He, however, noted that when an MRO is sited in Ogun airport, it will ease the already saturated Lagos airport and boost the economy of Ogun state.
The Santos boss said there was no room for expansion in Lagos, and see that Ogun remain a better alternative.
Adesanya, who has been in the aviation industry for over four decades, has worked with Delta Airlines as an aircraft engineer, and has established Santos Aviation Ltd in the United States, providing aircraft management, interior refurbishing, and cargo operation worldwide, among others.
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