Project Sunshine, a US-based non-profit organisation, has partnered with the International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, to organise AeroSTEM fellowship for secondary school students in selected schools in Kwara State.
The programme is designed to provide interactive learning activities to young adults to equip them with materials and manuals to build radio-controlled aircraft (RC aircraft).
The fellowship programme was organised by two US-based Nigerian pilots, Capt. Idris Ekungba and Capt. Uchena Abali who work with American Airlines and Delta respectively.
They assembled 45 students for three days at the IAC, taking them through the manuals on making of RC aircraft.
Speaking at the end of the programme, Ekungba, an indigene of Owo, Ondo State, who initiated the fellowship in Ilorin as a way of giving back to the community where he spent his childhood, said the project was to expose the children to Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as piloting.
He stressed the need to catch the children young to develop interest in STEM, noting that about 15 per cent of African children have knowledge about STEM.
“We also had teachers from each of these schools come in with the students to also learn what we are teaching the students because we also have to be following up with them over the next few years. It is a long term process. The short term is starting from here.
“I grew up in a home with a father that instilled the passion in me, the passion of always giving back to society. So I thought about what vehicle I could use to give back to society.
“For me we still have a long way to go in aviation in Nigeria, a lot of developments we have to catch up with, with other developed countries. For me it is about developing the manpower, let’s get as much as it out there, let’s even get the kids interested in STEM because only about 15 percent of African youths even think about STEM and the world is moving in that direction.
“For me it is not just about piloting and aviation, it is about developing science technology, engineering and mathematics. And those who want to be pilots, we would support them,” he said.
For his part, Abali said he was impressed by the level of assimilation by the students.
“The level of assimilation and work they have done is beyond our expectation. We introduced them to drone operation and they created flyable operational drones,” he said.
In his remarks, the rector of the college, Capt. Yakubu Okatahi said the programme was imperative to develop the next generation of STEM enthusiasts and aviation professionals who would take over from those retiring.
“A lot of pilots and engineers are retiring. Who will replace them? Are we going to allow the industry to die? No. And so we encourage them to continue so that they would be able to replace the ageing one so that the industry will not die.
“The two gentlemen are from America but they are Nigerians. We have to give them kudos because they did not forget their home they wanted to give back to their community and that is what they have done. We accommodated the kids, we encouraged them and we sensitised them. Let them continue doing what they are doing very well,” he said.
