A number of prospective pilots who applied to study in pilot training schools have had to suspend their plans as aviation schools across Nigeria have increased tuition fees by over 100 percent.
BusinessDay’s investigations show that Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, the major institutions licensed to offer pilot training, have raised fares by 100 percent.
Investigations show that NCAT has increased its standard pilot training fee of N7.5 million to N17.5 million, while IAC raised its fee to N25 million from about N12.5 million.
Private Flyers Academy, Kaduna, Kaduna State, a private institution hiked its private pilot licence fee to N8 million from N6 million.
“I had to suspend my decision to study in Zaria because my parents cannot afford the fees. Being a pilot has always been my dream and we had saved up to pay N7.5 million, only to find out that the institution had raised its fees. This is so discouraging,” Chijoke Okafor, a prospective student pilot, told BusinessDay.
“A lot of student pilots have had to suspend their admission process because their parents cannot afford to pay the exorbitant amount. If you don’t have a sponsor or an airline willing to pay for you to train in these institutions, then it may be impossible to study in these institutions,” he added.
Yakubu Okatahi, the rector and chief executive officer of IAC, who confirmed the tuition fee increase to BusinessDay, said his hands were tied in the situation as the price of fuel and foreign exchange shortage have forced IAC to raise tuition fees.
Okatahi said the IAC has nothing to cushion the effects of the current increase in fuel prices.
He said: “Before now, our school fee was N12.5 million for the whole course but we have increased the fees now. NCAT Zaria is now charging over N17.5 million. We will not stop at N17 million because it is not adequate but we have not determined how much it is going to be.
“NCAT gets subsidies from the government and grants. They also share in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement money. They share the money being collected by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. We don’t get anything. So, we don’t have anything to cushion the effects of aviation fuel price increase. Our school fees will be more than N17.5 million.”
Okatahi told BusinessDay that institutions in South Africa charge about N28 million apart from welfare, accommodation and feeding; and about $40,000 in America.
He explained that it is expensive to study as a pilot because almost everything is paid for in foreign currency.
He said: “It is pretty expensive to study as a pilot. Everything is dollar-based. The fuel we buy is in dollars, the spare parts are bought in dollars. Some of the instructors that are going to be foreign would be paid in dollars. So, it is just reasonable for us to increase the fees.
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“We are begging the federal government to come to our aid. We are training Nigerians and these Nigerians are going to work for Nigerian airlines. It is just reasonable for the federal government to allocate money to aviation institutions. We pay customs duties on our imported parts. The federal government should look into this and give us waivers and subventions on this.”
Tochi Ike Emmanuel, a student pilot currently studying at IAC told BusinessDay that some prospective students who could not afford the new fees have had to suspend their admission process.
Emmanuel said most students who are able to pay the school fees are sponsored by state governments, communities, wealthy Nigerians or airlines.
“It is really difficult for an average Nigerian to pay the school fees. I am the one sponsoring myself currently because I have had to save for a long time while working as a senior dispatch person for Air Peace,” he said.
Abednego Galadima, an instructor at NCAT and president of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, said with the current economic realities, NCAT has had to increase its fees.
“While we understand that not all prospective students can afford the fees, an increase in fees is just a cost-recovery process,” Galadima said.
The official duration of time to train as a pilot is 94 weeks but this depends on some factors, including the instructors and the weather. During the harmattan season, students hardly train.
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