Thursday, 23 January 2014 00:00
Written by By Abiodun Fagbemi
THEY are ubiquitous in their immaculate white shirt adored on the shoulders with stripes akin to naval officers and black trousers.
They are the envy of patrons of airports across the globe.
Until recently, only one or two in ten of these special breed of professionals are black, while the rest are either whites Hispanics or causasians.
However, today, things are changing for the better as training of pilots is gradually being localized.
Indeed, back home in Nigeria it used to be the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Zaria, until the erstwhile governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who is currently a senator, mooted the ideal of establishing the International College of Aviation (ICA) in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Establishing the college was not in isolation. If came with the rescucitation of Ilorin International Airport, which was until 10 years ago, a haven for dangerous reptiles and destitute, due to utter neglect.
Like many other new concepts, the establishment of the ICA attracted criticisms especially among those who believed that the state government, lack enough resources to bankroll such a capital intensive project. Kwara till date, in terms of Federal Government monthly allocations, is listed 33 among the 36 states of the federation
At present, the college has not only come to stay but has become a haven of sort for all Africans who crave for training in flight operations. Already, the ICA has sealed Memoranda of Undertanding (MOU) with such countries as Gambia, Sudan, Morocco and India.
Located some 1,500 meters away from the airport to enhance its serenity, the college with many cute architectural designs remains a conducive environment for learning, just as its aesthetic value stands out among many public buildings in the area.
According to the Acting Rector of the college, Abdulkarim Nuhu Abdulmumin, the buildings within the institution, though not the most expensive in the country, remain unprecedented in terms of designs. Besides, he believed the college has become a pride and a legacy for the people of the state.
Abdulmumin, who has a wealth of experience in flight crew training, crew resource management, human factors and safety management training, praised the former Governor for the vision just as he extolled the incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for sustaining the goal.
He told The Guardian in a chat that, “the idea of this international institution was conceived as far back as year 2006 by the then Governor of Kwara (Saraki). He is a widely travelled man, thus exposed to what the world is saying most of the time. He loves his people and through the college, he has connected Kwara with the rest of the world.
“Many people initially thought this could not be done. They claimed that Kwara state had no capacity to float it, but the rest is now history. You can see the edifice it is a future building. There is none like it in the country. The equipment is modern; class rooms are of international standard and the environment is very peaceful.”
In January 2012 the school opened its door to the first set of students. Even though the school had advertised a course duration of 14 months, the students graduated 12 months after having successfully completed their various programmes. The students were six in number.
The school at present has capacity to admit 60 students but has on its list for admission 45 candidates who will in few days resume full academic works. The Acting Rector said the state government is assisting the college by leasing out some of its chalets to the school pending the time the second phase of the hostel will be completed. The minimum entry requirement is five ‘O’ Level credits in relevant subjects, especially Geography and Physics.
Besides, the government would, according to Abdulmumin, purchase two more aircrafts for the college before the end of March this year. One of the aircrafts already booked for purchase would be an addition to the ones used for training while the other one would serve as a replacement for the one that had an incidence few weeks ago.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede, said the government, having started the project, would ensure its huge success. According to Akorede, “this government is highly encouraged by the success of the aviation college. It is good here and it can only get better.”
One area of concerns to Abdulmumin is the dearth of Nigerian pilots. The Flight Instructor of high repute, with certificate in ICAO English Rater/Assessors Course from the United Kingdom gave an alarming population of expatriate operating Nigerian aircrafts.
According to him, “if we have enough pilots of Nigeria origin, we will not have about 99.5 per cent of non Nigerian pilots flying Nigerian jets. It got to an alarming rate two years ago when we had more foreign pilots employed in Nigeria. Each of them collected about 10,000 Dollars per month. They spent six weeks at work and four weeks off duties. We were paying for their feeding as well. They will tell you that Nigerians could not fly modern aircraft , which is a ruse.”
At the college, Abdulmumin disclosed that Diamond 40 and 42 types of aircraft are used in training students of this institution. These type, he noted, are very easy to maintain. Besides, he added that the Aviation school uses Full Authority Digital Engine Control “FADEC) thus allowing the entire system to be run under digital system. For him therefore, the present type of training modules at the college would allay the fear of alleged obsolete training of pilots in the country. He mentioned the other engine as Theillett, a Germany made machine that uses Jet A. He believed that Aviation Gasoline type is very expensive and no longer in vogue.
Because of the belief of Governor Ahmed in government’s abstinence from direct involvement in business, the Acting Rector noted that the state government only churned out “Super Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), by creating an aviation college for the state in particular and the nation at large.”
On whether or not the huge investment has started yielding the expected dividends, he said, no quick turnover should be expected in aviation business even where the economy of such a hosting nation is rated as one of the best in the world.
He explained, “aviation venture requires patience and time to break even. It is not like salt and pepper business where you will ordinarily expect quick profits. It is nonetheless a profitable business, I mean aviation school, when you are patient. You should pray to break even, that is our target and we shall accomplish that.
“Already, government has stopped spoon feeding us. We are on our own now and we can only go to the government if the need is capital intensive. This needs can be the provision of infrastructure, like the building of hostels or classrooms or the purchase of aircraft. We all, as professionals, have the desire to make the dream of the government realisable in this respect. I, in particular being a native of this state, (Kwara) has a stake and by the grace of God, it must work here.”
As someone with requisite knowledge on aviation, having trained in such countries as United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, among others with over 30 years experience in the kitty, Abdulmumin said the training at the Ilorin college could compete favourably with the best aviation schools the world over.
He said, “ our aviation college is one of the cheapest in the world in terms of the fund needed for training. The profit margin is minute. We are therefore surprised seeing some parents and guardians still sending their wards abroad for training. Apart from the fact that this type of attitude is too expensive, the right type of training might still not be given.”
While instalmental payment is allowed depending on the type of training programme applied for, a guardian, Mr. Leke Ogungbe opined that the development has no doubt, given both the parents and the guardians some respite. Ogungbe, who said no such opportunity could be granted in other aviation colleges across the world, thanked Kwara state owner of the college “for making it easier here”.
The Chairman Governing Council of the aviation college, captain Edward Boyo, described the institution as one of the best in the world with a promise to sustain the standard noting that “aviation vision of excellence” any where in the world should not be compromised.
While pilot training is at the front burner at the Ilorin college, certificates such as Private Pilot Licence,(PPL), Commercial Pilot Licence, (CPL), are given at the end of the training. Besides, training in Multi Engine Instrument Rating (flying under exclusive use of instrument without making reference to object) is also done at the college. Also, any of the itemised courses can be modular.
Abdulmumin added, “we have a Standard Pilot Course. There is Executive Private Pilot License for busy men and women who don’t have the luxury of time. These set of trainees mostly come to school at the weekend for their training without compromising the expected standard.”
Despite the picture painted so far about the International Aviation College, the school like any other man propelled institutions, no doubt has its own general and peculiar challenges.
According to the Acting Rector, “for everything new, especially in a society like Nigeria, there is bound to be inherent risks, frustration and setback but we thank God for the supports of the visioner and supports from relevant Federal Government agencies. We are poised for whatever challenges yet to be overcome after all any system devoid of challenges is bound to fail.
“More people want to come in but the facilities are limited. We don’t want to exceed what our capacity can cope with. So we can say for now that it remains the greatest of all the challenges we are facing.”
Although whenever there is any air mishap especially in developing countries the conclusion would always be on pilots’ errors, Abdumumin an expert in Safety Management believed that reasons for air mishaps are more latent.
He opined, “the pilot in the past, being the last man at the end of the line, usually receives the blame of any mishap, whereas the accident could have been caused before getting to him. Today, we look at regulations, environmental and human factors. We look at the engine, the designs and the likes. In fact we need to be reactive now. You need to take care of the headache rather than boasting of having in your possession panadol tablets.”
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