Nahco aviance during the week endowed a professorial chair in Aviation Economics at the Bayero University, Kano.
The endowment fund is worth N25million according to the ground handling company.
The endowment would enable the Chair carry out research in Aviation Economics in particular and the Aviation industry generally.
Speaking at the event in Kano, Suleman Yahyah, Chairman of the Company, pointed out that Kano deserved such an honor being the first city to receive an aircraft in Nigeria as far back as 1930s.
Also, an elated Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, said that the money coming with the research will go a long way in creating an impact in transport economy in such a way that after five years of the duration of the present endowment, the department would have acquired enough competence by training some candidates including doctorate students in the area of Transport Economy or holding annual conference in Transport Economy and publishing the proceedings of the conference and circulating them widely.
He further said that the endowment of the professorial chair by the leading ground aviation handling company in the West Africa sub-region would also go a long way in sensitising the general academic community about the field of Transport Economy.
Explaining the choice of Kano further, Yahyah said Kano is one of the centres of excellence in Nigeria. He stated that Kano has to its credit, several hundreds of years of history of commerce, dating back to trans-Sahara trade.
“The Mallam Aminu Kano Airport was the first airport established in West Africa in 1930s and our core business in Nahco PLC is aviation handling. So when we decided as a company to realign our CSR from mere donations, and interventions and support to longer-term sustainable support, we felt that BUK having sustained a tradition of academic excellence and who had bred several champions who are today in positions of leadership in various sectors of Nigeria economy, this should be one of our first port of call,” he said.
On her part, the new chair, Prof. Ummu Ahmed Jalingo said the new endowment is a way of moving the society forward.
She expressed appreciation to nacho for choosing her department for the endowment. She said it marked a giant stride in the search for advance knowledge in a core area of human endeavor.
Ahmed-Jalingo commended the Company for setting a great example and promised that she would not let the Company down as she was sure that the whole country stands to benefit from the investment which nacho is making by endowing the professorial chair.
Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc. (Nahco aviance) is a Nigerian diversified enterprise with interests in aviation cargo, aircraft handling, passenger facilitation, crew transportation and aviation training.
The company currently serves more than 35 airlines at seven airports across Nigeria. It handles about 70 percent of domestic and foreign airlines operating in Nigeria.
Sade Williams
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