As local content receives boost in Nigeria’s aviation sector
The desire of the Goodluck Jonathan administration to comprehensively transform, rehabilitate, and consolidate the aviation sector received a boost recently, as Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta unveiled 66 pilots and 61 aviation maintenance engineers, OSA VICTOR OBAYAGBONA writes.
I am Jesse Odezi Oyegwa, from Delta State, Nigeria. I started my flying career in 2011, and I am one of the delegates sent to the Afrika Union Aviation Academy, South Africa. I am currently with a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with ratings in single, multi-engine instruments.”
This is one of the interesting stories coming from youths who were once armed and dangerous.
Oyegwe is among the hundreds of young militants who dropped their arms after a long and bitter arm struggle that characterised Nigeria’s Niger Delta less than half a decade ago. Today, they earn their living flying aeroplanes and this is possible because the government is determined to keep the once disgruntled youths off the streets and creeks.
This boost came as the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, which oversees the Presidential Amnesty Programme, unveiled 66 commercial pilots and 61 aviation maintenance engineers who have successfully completed their courses in different countries to Nigerians.
With this, it is expedient to say that these young men and women, once tagged as militants, have been empowered and taken away perpetually from the creeks. This is a remarkable feat for a country’s aviation sector that spends millions of dollars on expatriate pilots and engineers on a yearly basis.
On June 6, 2014, 127 of them were showcased to the public, having been trained and certified by the following aviation training schools: Ashland Investments Services Limited, Afrika Union Aviation Academy Mafikeng, South Africa; Royal Jordanian Air Academy, Jordan, and JetStream Aviation Academy, Athens, Greece.
As the Nigerian economy begins to expand, the aviation sector has been seen as an aspect that will contribute immensely to the nation’s GDP therefore, building capacity to bridge the huge manpower gap that has ever existed in the sector is imperative.
Presenting the delegates and painting a clear picture of the sector and the relevance of these young aviators to the Nigerian economy, Perekemi Porbeni, principal manager aviation in Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, said: “The contribution of air transport in Nigeria had been very significant; its contribution to Nigeria’s GDP was N32.6 billion in 2010, N32.6 billion in 2011, N42.7 billion in 2012, and N48 billion in 2013, with a growth rate of 32 percent between 2010 and 2013. In 2010, the Amnesty Office saw the future and therefore chooses to invest in human resources in that area.”
According to Porbeni, “the Nigerian airspace has been plagued by incidences and accidents in the past, but the people I present to you today are the best of the best because they have been exposed to the best international standards in the aviation sector.”
With local manpower, it will be easier to develop Nigeria as an international aviation hub, because Nigeria is equidistant to everywhere in the world, he explained, saying before now, every aspect of the sector had been under-staffed, therefore, these young men and women already have jobs awaiting them.
“Because indigenous pilots and engineers are more cost effective,” he urged airlines in the country to “consider engaging the newly commissioned pilots and engineering personnel; I call on industry officials for collaboration to make the transformation agenda of the present administration in the sector a reality.”
Currently, there are over 300 registered non-Nigerians operating in the nation’s aviation sector as pilots and aircraft engineers. Increase in private jets in the country and the call for reduction in the number of foreign pilots operating in the country, are some of the reasons these young aviators were trained.
In his short but precise speech, Kingsley Kuku, special adviser to the president on Niger Delta, and chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, enjoined the aviation sector stakeholders to come in to tap from the pool of the pilots and engineers to fill the gap in the sector.
At this event in Lagos, Oyegwa was not alone, “I am Prince Barisua Ipia. I was trained at Royal Jordanian Academy, Amman, Jordan, as a flight engineer, and my experience was fantastic. I love flying and enjoy seeing myself as an aircraft engineer. I am proud of myself, my family and my beloved country (Nigeria),” another beneficiary said.
Yet another, Benjamin Afamefuna, disclosed that he was “trained as aircraft maintenance engineer. The training was carried out in Fujairah Aviation Academy, United Arab Emirates. The experience was great, as all training and course of studies were completed. The course covered aircraft maintenance engineering, airframe and power plant, which means all aspects of aircraft maintenance.”
Assessing the institutions and the courses of study, it revealed that on March 27, 2011, the first batch of 20 trainees arrived in Afrika Union Aviation Academy, Mafikeng, South Africa, on schedule for the purpose of obtaining a fixed wing commercial pilot licence with instrument/multi-engine rating within a two-year duration.
Examinations the pilots completed include: Principle of flight (CPL); Meteorology (CPL); Human performance (CPL); Navigation (CPL); Aircraft and General (CPL); Flight planning (CPL), and Instruments.
At Royal Jordanian Air Academy (RJAA), the cadets had the opportunity of joint international airlines experience, reflecting the high standards the RJAA has been known to offer.
Also at JetStream Aviation Academy, Athens, Greece, the young aviators engaged in the following: Airline First Officer course (ATPL & A320 typing rating); Type Ratings on A320/A330/A340/A310, B737, EMB145, AVRO RJ, ATR, Q400 and TRI/SFI courses. And yet, at Fujairah Aviation Academy (FAA), the cadets obtained approved UAE GCAA, and upon successful completion, results in the issue of UAE. The UAE is a member of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Licences issued by the UAE are convertible to the licences of other ICAO states, subject to their civil aviation regulations. Here, two of the trainee air-engineers were females.
At Lufthansa Flight Training GmbH, the trainees graduated with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Licence, which allows them begin their careers as pilots.
As a form of endorsement, the National Assembly says it was considering a revolutionary local content regulation for Nigeria’s aviation industry. The bill, when passed into law, would make it mandatory for both domestic and foreign airlines operating in the country to set aside a certain number of indigenous pilots and engineers they would engage.
The proposed bill, according to Senate President David Mark, is part of efforts to deepen local participation in the aviation sector where there is influx of expatriates as pilots, aircraft engineers and other aviation professionals. Mark said this at the unveiling of the 127 young aviators.
Mark, represented by Abdul Ningi, Senate deputy leader, said the National Assembly would continue to support the Presidential Amnesty Programme for the training of youths in the country in order to close the gaps in manpower needs in the aviation industry.
He said the proposed bill had become imperative as one of the ways of creating an avenue for Nigerian aviation professionals to get jobs in the aviation sector, which is currently dominated by expatriates.
“The amnesty programme is working. It is one of the programmes initiated by government that is adding value. The National Assembly will continue to support it. It is for this reason that the National Assembly is going to create legislation for local content regulation in the aviation sector,” he said.
Also, Aminu Tambuwal, speaker, House of Representatives, represented at the event by chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta, Warman Ogoriba, said the House will give speedy passage to the bill to be initiated by the upper house to protect the interest of Nigeria and create jobs for indigenous professionals in the strategic aviation sector.
Also speaking at the event, Shehu Iyal, senior special assistant to the president on aviation, said the relevant agencies of government were collaborating to ensure that pilots and aircraft engineers type-rated after their training from the amnesty programme were absorbed in the aviation sector.
“But what is striking and unique about this is that besides the military, no civil organisation has been able to graduate this large number of pilots. It didn’t even happen during the days of the defunct Nigeria Airways. To have 66 pilots, 61 engineers graduating at the same time; I think this is phenomenal. It is something that has to be celebrated. This is something we as Nigerians should be proud of,” he said.
I think it truly calls for celebration.