Aviation… critical aspect of Buhari’s change agenda’

NCAT to begin award of ND, HND
Binta Bello, permanent secretary, Aviation Ministry, said on Monday that the development of the aviation sector was one critical aspect on the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Presidency is already unfolding plans to turn the sector around, she said, saying all the agencies under it were already carrying out their agenda too.

She spoke while declaring open the training for airport correspondents organised by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated a clear commitment to the development of the aviation industry. The industry is a very critical part of the president’s change agenda,” she said.

The government and the Ministry will not leave any stone unturned in the bid at closing manpower gaps in the sector, she said, adding that it places much importance on it.

“We put great importance in the training and retraining of our personnel. The Aviation Ministry has made it a priority; closing the gaps of training needs is our core goal, in order to improve the human capacity and professional development of the sector.

“At the core of the roadmap for the industry, as you are all aware, is training and retraining of aviation personnel to acquire required skills and capacity to drive the goals of the industry.

“In line with this objective also is the fundamental premium placed on the training of other allied personnel and stakeholders, whose jobs and activities are crucial to the overall development of the aviation sector in the country,” she said.

Bello said further that NCAT, which has continued to strengthen the capacity building in core areas such as introduction of Multi-Crew Pilot license, Helicopter Training, Boeing 737 type Training Instructors Course by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) TRAIN-AIR PLUS and Airline Transport Pilot License, had presently gotten an interim accreditation, pending the amendment of the College enabling act, to award National Diploma and Higher National Diploma, as granted by National Board for Technical Education.

“The College has also been granted with an interim accreditation by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) for award of Post Graduate Diploma Courses,” she said.

Also speaking, Samuel Caulcrick, a pilot and rector of NCAT, disclosed that the Federal government had started the process for the payment of remaining entitlements of ex-Airways workers, saying that it was one of the issues that were presented to Buhari when the permanent secretary presented the report of the sector to him some weeks ago.

Caulcrick said the institution was ready to train anybody interested in Aviation as it had all the requirements to do so, even across Africa.