AIB-N, NCAT Move for Stronger Collaboration on Capacity building

The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria (NCAT) have disclosed their move for a stronger collaboration in the area of capacity building and other aviation industry projects.

The Accident Investigation Bureau has also disclosed that it will launch its world-class training facility that will be the first in Africa before the end of 2023.

The Commissioner/CEO, AIB-N Mr. Akin Olateru, made this disclosure when the Rector of the College, Capt. Alkali Modibbo and his top management team paid him a visit at the AIB corporate head office in Abuja recently, where the two aviation agencies deliberated on areas of mutual benefits and collaboration that would further boost aviation safety and development.

Olateru hinted that the AIB-N Training Centre located close to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja is about 90 per cent completed and should be ready at about the third quarter of 2022.

The Commissioner explained that AIB is setting up a training school which is the first of its kind in the history of Africa, stressing that they have been talking to NCAT and other great institutions in the world that teach aircraft accident investigation courses.

“We have worked on a curriculum and we will want us to revisit that because the training school is about 90 per cent completed,” he said.

Olateru posited that the essence of the facility is to deepen training as AIB-N prioritises manpower development, while the NCAT visit will further deepen their collaboration on training.

The Commissioner urged the NCAT to create a platform for training all non-technical personnel of the aviation industry on an aviation awareness appreciation programme.

He highlighted that the visit is in the spirit of collaboration because training is extremely important in any organisation for it to grow, adding that the AIB have trained 48 of their staff at NCAT.

Olateru said “Before the end of this year, we will be training 16 of our staff to have a private pilot license (PPL). The programme is starting 14th February this year. So far, we have trained 17 of our aircraft engineers at NCAT. We are currently having nine of our staff on students review.

“We have trained two of our air traffic controllers and two dispatchers at NCAT. Recently, one of the new units we set up, the Command and-Control Centre also had seven staff trained on radiotelephony. So, it is a partnership that is growing.”

Olateru appealed to the states and federal government to be sponsoring students in NCAT as they used to do to enable children of poor background to benefit from NCAT training services.

Earlier, Moddibo noted that it is significant that continuous synergy is sustained among associate agencies, taking into consideration the global challenges facing the aviation industry that requires tremendous innovation and dedication.

The Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology said AIB-N’s commitment to acquiring modern facilities and manpower development resonates positively with NCAT since that College has been re-equipping to remain at the forefront in aviation education.

Moddibo applauded the synergy between the two agencies in the area of capacity development and called for more patronage from AIB-N.

According to the Rector, efforts are being made by the aviation college, Kaduna State and the federal government to boost security in its campus, stressing that more than 40 armed security operatives have been deployed to take charge of the institution’s security system.