ICAO, NCAA Recertify NCAT As Rector Seeks Funds For Capital Projects
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has recertified the country’s premier aviation training institution, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) located in Zaria, Kaduna state after both bodies declared that the college meets it required standards.
The Acting Rector of the college, Mr. Joseph Shaka Imalighwe described the feat as an enviable one for the training institution adding that his mission is to take NCAT to a level where training will be refocussed as the college is moving away from the traditional training to the digital model adding that NCAT is in association with a number of other training institutions and universities to cooperate and improve the curriculum.
The Acting Rector called on the federal government through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to increase allocation to the college to enable it meet its capital project expenditure just as he affirmed that its status as ICAO TrainAir Plus Training Centre Excellence requires more resources to continuously improve the college.
He disclosed that the leading aviation training institution recently established the Airport Emergency Training (AET) School to offer initial fire fighter courses, competence aircraft live fire simulator and fire fighting course and airport emergency procedure course.
Mr. Imalighwe whilst the college has made giant stride in the last one year since he assumed office, adding that the college has entered into a collaboration with the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU) and other organizations for training but said it requires massive funding to complete some capital projects that will ensure it meets the requirement of its students.
Whilst he said NCAT currently contributes averagely 45% of the aviation industry licensed personnel requirements, it is faced with challenges ranging from inadequate training facilities like hostel accommodation and classrooms, high cost of aviation gasoline and inadequate number of required specialized instructors due to high attrition to the industry.
Others include encroachment on the college land, security of college premises, aged college buildings, inadequate budgetary envelope while the staff remains the lowest remunerated in the aviation industry.
Speaking of the college’s Boeing 737 simulator that has remained inactive for sometime, the Rector disclosed that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo has sent experts who came and evaluated it saying “they will soon start work on it so that it will be functioning in earnest once NCAA certifies it.”
“The college and NCAA are closely working together assiduously to ensure it comes on board as the minister has already sent people to look at it,” he said.
“We want the federal government to increase our annual budget. We need lecture theatres, offices, meeting rooms, hostels. We require the purchase of a fire tender to be dedicated for the airport emergency training school. We also require about 200 computers for the ICT centre as well as capacity training for the college instructors.”
Mr. Imalighwe commended the Minister as he said: “We have a minister who has been cooperating with us since we came into the office. I have also received maximum cooperation from all staff especially with the management staff and those that have helped us a lot.
The ICAO Centre of Excellence regional officials just came to recertify us after three years. We do recertification with ICAO after three years and they wrote very good things about the college.
Even NCAA came a week after the ICAO officials to recertify us also. We have smooth sailing with those organizations.”
“In spite of the short period, training has been sustained. MOU has been sustained. The college has undergone tremendous improvement in areas of facility upgrade and development of new ones. Staff has been undergoing various trainings. We are trying to sustain it.”
“We have just bought Zaria hotel because we understand the limitation of accommodations within the college. The contractor is starting renovation works. The hostels are not enough and the building of our guests 150 rooms, the contractor has taken possession of the place so that he will start construction.”
“The college fire simulator is working very well. The simulator that we have challenges with is the flight simulator. The Boeing 737 simulator, the minister has sent some people to come and evaluate it. They will soon start work on it so that it will be functioning in earnest once NCAA certifies it because initially, they said they needed training on it to be able to do the certification.”
“We want the federal government to increase our funding particularly in the areas of capital projects. Our budget envelop is way too small considering the ongoing projects we have at hand. The college has an annual budget envelop of an average of three billion and the ongoing project that the college has triples that. So, it will require more funding to enable us achieve our objectives to take the college to greater heights.”
