Month: May 2025

  CHUKS OKOH   Osubi airport in Warri, Delta state, one of the fastest growing airports in the country has continued to attract more domestic airlines with state of the art facilities being installed   The airport with it’s air field lightings  currently being upgraded from category Two to Three, has one of the best baggage scanning machines installed.   About eight scheduled commercial airline operators have shown interest to operate flights in and out of the Osubi airports.   It was gathered that the the short length of the airport’s runway has limited airline operators from operating with big aircraft.   Osubi  is an airport to watch as traffic will shift to the area after the extension of its runway which will lead to it’s upgrading to a full fledged airport.   It was also learnt that the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr Festus Keyamo has shown interest in the extension of the runway to accommodate bigger aircraft   Osubi airport, is the only airport in the country that has remained self funded with the internally  generated revenue without budget and funding from the government.   On revenue generation, the airport has continued to wax stronger from zero naira four years ago to one billion naira (N1bn) and close to N2bn last year.   With 22 staff to run the airport from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria after resumption four years ago, it can now boast of about 150 third party staff, not direct FAAN staff but the airport staff with Osubi airport salary payments.   With monthly staff bill of about N20m, the Osubi airport pays N16m to FAAN every month   Experts have admitted that there has been significant improvement in infrastructure and operational procedures   But for the part of Osubi airport manager, Mr Winston Egwuatu, the growth of the airport was as a result of what he called working procedure established by the management of the Osubi airport, prompt procedure for maintenance as at when due.   Egwuatu, who has won several awards, including the 2024 NIGAV most innovative airport manager of the year and most promising airport award, said Aerodrome manual was being followed back to back with procedure in place for maintenance.

  CHUKS OKOH. Rector Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Dr Danjuma A. Ismaila, has decried the institution’s wage profile as critically low and demotivating. He described the situation as the main reason poor wages trigger talent loss and the continued exit of trained professionals to other agencies offering better remuneration packages. He made this known during an oversight visit to the College by Chairman House Committee on Aviation Technology, Honorable Tajudeen Kareem Abisodun. According to a statement signed by Director Information, Dr Jude Amadi, the committee, during a tour of NCAT’s facilities, was received by Dr Ismaila and his top management team, seize the opportunity to give an overview of NCAT’s key contributions to aviation manpower development. The Rector said NCAT continues to be the leading provider of skilled professionals in the Nigerian aviation industry. However, he explained that inadequate compensation was leading to brain drain and disruption in training continuity. Dr Ismaila stated, “Our trained personnel are regularly poached by sister agencies and private companies offering significantly higher salaries. This situation is not sustainable.” He noted that while the college enjoys government support, retaining experienced staff has become a significant challenge due to better incentives outside NCAT. Therefore, he appealed for legislative backing to review the salary structure and make NCAT more competitive. Furthermore, he praised the commitment of the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, and other previous administrations for their support. However, he emphasised that more effort is needed, particularly in budgetary allocations. According to him, this will help the college meet rising demands and address pressing operational gaps. He assured the lawmakers that his administration is focused on repositioning NCAT. Plans are underway to harness the institution’s capacity and derive long-term benefits for the college and the entire aviation industry. In response, Chairman House Committee on Aviation Technology, Honorable Abisodun, commended the leadership and contributions of the college. He said the Rector’s presentation gave a clear picture of the institution’s priority needs and assured that the committee would assess them carefully. He also affirmed the committee’s readiness to partner closely with NCAT to tackle its major challenges. He stressed the importance of the college to Nigeria’s aviation growth and pledged consistent legislative support. Committee members who accompanied the Chairman were visibly impressed with the college’s training facilities. They commended NCAT’s progress and pledged continuous collaboration to strengthen its capabilities. Dr Ismaila reiterated that unless urgent attention is given to staff welfare, poor wages trigger talent loss will remain a persistent issue.

  CHUKS OKOH. The proprietor of Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and management, Engr Isaac Balami says, the institution will serve as a stop gap to the current high cost of training of professionals in the country’s aviation sector   Speaking on a television interview monitored in Lagos, Balami, whose university was recently  given license by the National University Commission, disclosed, that over 100 applicants across Africa have shown interest for enrollment into the University.   Balami noted, that students will have five years to learn in the university what he acquired for almost twenty years in the industry   According to the former two time president of  Aircraft  Pilots and Engineers, with his knowledge and experience garnered worldwide and haven operated the 7Star Hangar with so many  aircraft including the Presidential aircraft doing their various maintenance, the institution will be next to none   Balami explained, that students of the institution will have access to Hangars weekends and public holidays and each student is expected to 1,500 hours on a live aircraft loggings to know about, engine overhaul, landing gears, airframes, structure repairs, among others   He explained that at the time of graduating, the student would have had up to 7000 hours on a live aircraft   Balami added, that student will be graduating with Pilot License, Nigeria Civil Aviation  license and with the European license   He revealed that most of the trainings will supervised by some professionals from British Airways while they already have to train engineers on Boeing and Airbus which will give students opportunity to obtain such certificates   On efforts to ensure that standard was maintained, the university proprietor said, there was no going back with high standards as it took him four years to get the university approved by the government and to get the license from the NUC   Balami thanked the federal government assuring that huge capital flights abroad will be greatly reduced with the taking off of the university.

  CHUKS OKOH Following reports of delays and fight cancellations experienced by passengers of Air Peace, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Capt Chris Najomo, has summoned the management of the airline. Capt Najomo told the airline to immediately improve on its domestic operations owing to complaints of chronic flight delays and cancellations by the travelling public. Speaking in a tensed meeting with some management staff of Nigeria’s largest domestic operator in Abuja, Capt. Najomo advised the airline to trim its operations to the size of available aircraft presently in its fleet. The airline acknowledged that it has some challenges that were not unusual in the industry, but they were working round the clock to fix same. The DGCA asserted that, while the NCAA will continue to support the airlines, the operators must comply with the regulations and global best practices. Capt. Najomo warned that the NCAA has increased its monitoring of flight operations.

  CHUKS OKOH. Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Engr. Umar Farouk, has disclosed that plans for the commencement of an improved condition of service for its staff has reached advance stage as part of measures to ensure it workforce are well remunerated in line with the aspiration of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo to create supportive environment for workers. The NAMA MD, who was represented by the Director, Air Traffic Services, Mr. John Tayo noted that the agency has engaged with representatives of the workforce in the various workers unions in the industry in order to arrive at an agreed welfare packages for its workers. Speaking at the May Day ceremony at the Murtala Muhammed Airport organised by the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) in Lagos, Mr. Tayo commended the staff for their commitment and devotion to the services of NAMA, affirming that their commitment has brought the agency to the level it is today. Speaking of the improvement in their welfare since the inception of the current administration, Mr. Tayo said “You recalled that at the inception of this administration we inherited a moribund condition of service and I want to say today that we have paid all our staff, we have executed that condition of service.” According to him, “regarding the new condition of service and the minimum wage we have set up a committee with the unions, we have worked on it, they held a meeting in Kano and we are just at the concluding stage of discussion to begin the payment of the new minimum wages.” The ATS Director affirmed that the welfare packages are in line with the vision and programme of the Minister who has taken the welfare of the workers as a top priority. “The new condition of service which has been overtaken by events will be paid very soon. We have also introduced so many allowances in our old condition of service. You will bear with me that there was nothing like outfit allowances, we even paid in arrears. Very soon you will smile, pretty soon you will laugh.” He told the jubilant workers. Also, he said “Again last year we changed the fortune of our staff. We were not going for local and international training, this year, we have commenced another training session for all staff of NAMA. We continue to engage the unions, we are part of you, we are behind you and we will continue to support you to see that our staff are well taken care of.”

CHUKS OKOH A frontline labour leader in the country has warned that the country is moving towards the part of imperialism with various policies of government in the country Speaking exclusively in Lagos, the general secretary of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) Comrade AbdulRasaq Saidu, warned that that country has entered into the imperialist system of government According to him, happenings in the country, such as the poor minimum wage, exchange rate, political instability and the economic downturn that are currently witnessed have made Nigerians poorer than before and pointers to imperialism. Saidu said, all was not well with Nigerians as they were not happy in their country especially with the way the political class were conducting themselves He condemned the high level of insecurity in the country saying, that killings and kidnappings have become the order of the day without control from the security agencies “The insecurity in the country has made life unbearable in this country. Hence there is ‘Japa’ syndrome in the country. Unless we must take our destiny in our hands, we don’t have people to save us from the yoke of imperialism. Nigeria has entered into the imperialism system of government and we can not allow it to continue” Saidu cited an instance where government spend huge amounts of money to reposition airports and set to concession such airports saying it was slavery. He warned that concession of airports will doom the nation, security and otherwise. The ANAP scribe challenged members of the National Assembly to rise up to the occasion and stop fighting one another adding that, the crop of lawmakers are not for the people. “These are the things the National Assembly should look at and not to be fighting each other. We know that the previous National Assembly members were independent and challenged the policies of government but this one now are not for the people” Saidu declared. Saidu stated that Labour has weakened the power of governance and the institute that is supposed to enforce laws He said the economic, social life and political life of Nigerians has worsening and called on Nigerians to wake up and fight for their right through a united front. The ANAP scribe urged workers to unite and fight the war of capitalism and neo colonialism to free Nigerians from the yoke of foreign detatorship being introduced into the country. “There is nothing in this world that matters in motion and the matter in motion is economic survival, freedom of economy. We can be having government and not producing anything and taking of oil everyday”

CHUKS OKOH Weeks after its successful 49th non elective Annual General Meeting in Lagos,  the leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) and its members across the country ,  will be going to Banjul,  the Gambia for critical training on travel trade and refresher courses on other related concerns. President of NANTA ,  Mr Yinka Folami, who is leading the team,  had  stated during the Lagos confab that the members of the association must take advantage of training opportunities and exposure to help them navigate through the ever demanding and dynamic nature of travel trade business and related concerns not just as expected of serious trade professionals but also to generate other streams of income to keep ahead of competition. ” Our Banjul training expedition is not a jamboree but our strategic growth plan for our members, which began two years ago  and given breath by our immediate past president,  Mrs Susan Akporiaye who inaugurated the first training exposure with university of Johannesburg in collaboration with South Africa Tourism and Ghana Tour Operators Association.  So, the Banjul training exposure is to deepen that process,  open doors of many untapped opportunities for our members,  particularly on the various value chain of intra Africa travel and tourism which again,  nanta headlined in recent times,” nanta president stated further Folami whose leadership took NANTA back to the protective umbrella of United Federation of Travel Agencies Association ( Uftaa), the global industry trade body,  stressed that NANTA members must make continuous training and retraining expectations as key pillar of their survival and growth,  adding that the association has never considered acts of frivolities and wasteful lifestyle as part of its strategic growth development plan and would always take steps that would benefit the rank and file of the association. ” From the response so far,  our Banjul  , Gambia training and related industry exposure,  will be bigger than what we did last two years.  We have our best hands managing it for us and from the reports on my table,  it will be sad if any member or businesses registered as our member fail to attend this outing slated for  the last week of May, 2025. Our faculty team is ready, and as we have always done,  it will be an opportunity to market Nigeria tourism and also showcase our collaborative strength and reach within the trade circles in Africa and the world in general.  So those who are yet to register should reach out to the secretariat before the  closing  date   in the next two weeks.” Mr Yinka Folami explained.