- Nigeria is set to establish an Aviation
University to focus on research
- The minister of aviation said the country
will join countries producing aircraft
Nigeria is targeting the opportunity to join
the list of countries producing air crafts as
the President Muhammadu Buhari
administration is set to establish an Aviation
University.
The Nation reports that Hadi Sirika who is
the minister of aviation confirmed this plan
when he toured the Nigerian College of
Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna
State on Saturday,
Airlines for employing 10 Nigerians
He said: “The aviation university will be
different from NCAT; the university will be
fully into research and development and
production of higher level management
manpower need of the industry.
Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation
“The university will go into deep research,
with the hope that in the near future, we
will be able to manufacture aircraft
components, until when we are able to
produce the aircraft itself.
“Since the technology is available around the
world, is no longer a hindrance, it is our own
ability and capability to pursue it.”
The minister of aviation noted that Brazil and
India have joined aircraft producing
countries and that Nigeria can do same too.
He said: “If such countries could do it, why
not Nigeria’’.
“The technology is known, we are not
reinventing it; we just put our act together in
doing it. So, the university will cater for that,
while NCAT will continue to provide the
services in the institute.”
Sirika said the decentralisation of NCAT by
the previous administration would make it
difficult for the college to do what it was
established to do.
He said: “Remember, it was the UNDP that
partnered with International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) and Nigerian
government to produce this institution.
“And it is one of its kind, so why are going to
reduce its capacity and capability?. Our own
task is to improve, enhance and upgrade the
capacity and ability of the college to do more.
“But if somebody feels that he has funds to
go and establish a facility somewhere to do
some kind of training, of course, we will
support him.”
Capt. Samuel Caulcrick who is the rector of
the college identified funding and obsolete
facilities as some of the bane to the
development of the institution.
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