The federal government of Nigeria has given approval to the request by Edo State Government to build an airport at Uzairue/Okpella in Etsako West local government.
Reportedly, the approval was delivered to Godwin Obaseki, the Governor of Edo state, in a letter from the Federal Ministry of Aviation, signed by the acting Director of Aerodrome Development, Eng. Clement Olayinka Awogbami on behalf of the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
“Sequel to the receipt of your Excellency’s letter, Ref. No: OG.51/Vol.4/120 dated 16th February 2021 and subsequent visit of the technical team from the Ministry and its agencies on the 3rd to 5th of November, 2021, I am directed to convey the approval of the Honorable Minister for the construction of an airport at Uzairue/Okpella in Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State,” read the letter in part.
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Conditions that must be met by the Edo state government to build the Airport at Uzairue/Okpella
Other than stating the approval, the letter also mentioned some conditions that must be met by the Edo state government in its quest to build the Airport at Uzairue/Okpella.
These conditions include strict adherence to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) requirements; compliances with all relevant environmental regulations and undertaking of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to assess the impact of noise on the settlement area.
This is in addition to adherence to the provision of the subsisting Civil Aviation Act 2006, and other legislations that may evolve with time; payment of all statutory fees; issuance of security clearance by Department of State Services (DSS) and site survey data in accordance with WGS 84 (World Geodetic Survey 1984) specification.
Additional requirements
The Ministry also demanded the perimeter survey of the airport facility, production of Wind Rose Analysis by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET); the removal of all obstruction on the site, and involvement of the Ministry and its relevant agencies at every stage of the development of the airport to ensure compliance with Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
