Ime Akpan
The rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCA), Capt. Muhammed Abdulsalami has said that the process of getting funds released for capital projects at the college had been difficult.
Speaking yesterday in Zaria during the flag-off a training programme for aviation correspondents jointly sponsored by NCAA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the rector said the process of getting the 2018 budget appropriation for the renovation of student’s hostels was still ongoing.
“We are on the verge of awarding contract for the renovation of the hostels. We will be doing it in phases because the hostels are occupied and we don’t want to disrupt academic activities,” he said.
Thereafter, the rector called for accurate reporting of the aviation sector by journalists covering the beat.
“This course is very important for the industry. Unless the aviation correspondents are properly informed, they would not be able to report the industry. They need to be familiar with the peculiarity of the industry,” he said.
For his part, the director general of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman said the agency would continue to train more personnel in line with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Usman who was represented at the event by the agency’s deputy general manager, public affair, Mr. Joe Jimoh said training is a key component of aviation development in Nigeria.
“Training is vital to our operations as a regulatory authority. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requires all civil aviation authorities in the world to have requisite professionals in sufficient number. Therefore our staff are exposed to relevant trainings all over the world. This is to ensure the Authority provides a robust regulation for the aviation industry.
“It is against this background that the NCAA has continually endeavoured to extend similar trainings to the media corps over the years. You will agree with me that the media is critical to the growth of global aviation,” he said.
He also said every success story about aviation in Nigeria cannot be written without the contributions the media.
“While NCAA will continue to celebrate this blossoming relationship with the media, we want to inform Nigerians that we are likely to end this year again with zero accident in all air transport categories,” he added.
