SLAMEN Advocates Tighter Controls On Foreign License Validations, Local Capacity Strength
The President and the National Executive Council of the Society of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers of Nigeria (SLAMEN) has advocated for tighter controls on foreign license validations and expatriate employment to protect local content.
Speaking during an official courtesy visit to the Director General and Management Team of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday at the authority’s headquarters, the society emphasized that expatriate engagements must be strictly based on genuine technical needs and tied to mandatory, structured knowledge-transfer programmes for Nigerian engineers.
Led by SLAMEN President, Engr. Muhammad Mubarak Haladu, the delegation engaged the regulatory leadership in strategic discussions aimed at advancing aviation safety, upholding professional standards, protecting local content, and encouraging sustainable growth within Nigeria’s aircraft maintenance subsector.
During the meeting, Engr. Haladu emphasized that SLAMEN, a legally recognized professional body remains deeply committed to supporting the regulator through institutional collaboration, intelligence sharing, and technical expertise.
Key issues and reform proposals presented by SLAMEN includes development of indigenous MRO facilities and boosted support for existing ones, preservation of the AME License & Qualification Standards, regulation of Aviation Training Organizations (ATOs), foreign license validations & expatriate quotas, fatigue management & duty time limitations and mandatory type-rating & recurrent training.
Furthermore, SLAMEN called for the immediate suspension or cancellation of the Basic Aircraft Technician Course (BATCO) due to weak entry requirements, advocating that the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria’s ICAO-standard course serve as the benchmark pathway.
To ensure continuous engagement, SLAMEN proposed establishing a formal liaison framework with the NCAA, designating a specific office to facilitate regular consultation, information exchange, and joint policy development. Engr Edwin Obi was officially appointed SLAMEN NCAA liaison by the DG CAA.
In his closing remarks, Engr. Haladu reassured the NCAA leadership that SLAMEN’s recommendations were driven solely by a shared commitment to national security, aviation safety, and positioning Nigeria as a leading aviation hub in Africa. “Our requests today are not driven by personal interests, but by a shared desire to strengthen aviation safety, protect professional standards, develop local capacity, and position Nigeria as a leading aviation hub in Africa,” stated Engr. Haladu.
In his response, the Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo treated all the requests one after the other promising a swift action in areas of AMO/ATO audit, personnel licensing review and protection of local content for our domestic Maintenance Engineers. That type rating for engineers appearing in the regulations will be referred to the regulatory review board for necessary action. He further stated that Engineers are the unsung heroes of the industry and clearly appreciated all the Engineers in the industry ensuring safety of flights.
