….says manpower development too big a burden alone for the private sector.
The projected increase globally in air travel demand in the next 10-20 years, will require better infrastructure to give passengers safety, security and better experience. However, another critical requirement is the human beings to drive the entire system.
To this end, there is need to shore up the human beings, that is the professionals as the issue of ageing workforce has become a major concern.
It is perhaps against this background that the Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority NCAA, Captain Muktar Usman says the modern Aviation industry urgently requires a large pool of sound Aviation Professionals in all areas and departments especially in Nigeria.
Speaking at this year’s 3rd Aviation career conference in Lagos with the theme: ‘Inspiring the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals’, Captain Usman said producing these professionals required a robust training and manpower development programme by both government and the private sector.
According to the NCAA boss, in most developing countries including Nigeria, the private sector was not strong enough to bear alone the burden of such manpower development programme.
For those seeking to build Aviation careers, Captain Usman represented by Mrs. Maria Umoh-Ordor, a Cabin Safety Inspector in NCAA, stressed that the future was promising despite the teething challenges there may be especially in developing economies.
He noted that aspirants must be driven by the passion for the profession, as well as by a big dream for the future.
“Such an aspirant would be challenged at both the personal and professional levels, but the reward is enormous”.
He added, “Those of us developing economies have the strange advantage of learning from the more advanced and developed aviation industries; we can thus not only avoid some mistakes of the past, but also expedite the development of both in the human and material factors in our aviation industry”.
Captain Usman explained that the requirements into the industry are not only in science and technology but also in the arts and humanities, adding that the traditional science subjects of math, physics, chemistry, geography would lead aspirants to their goal in the sector.
Organizer of the conference, Joy Ogbebo a former Chief cabin executive in her opening address said, the objectives of the conference was to among others mentor and offer career guidance to the youths, to introduce aspiring Aviators to their career choice and help them identify the key skills required.
She explained that this was the right time to invest in the youth’s development, empowering them, helping them identify the necessary skills required in the pursuit of their dreams and continuously guiding them.
“Aviation future is here. We need to take proactive steps. Countries that are advanced and have taken aviation to the next level are the ones that have taken proactive steps to develop human capacity. There is no better time to start investing in the next generation of Aviation Professionals than now”.
Ogbebo says the support of government agencies, airlines, ancillary service providers and individuals of this initiative was deliberately investing in the nation’s future.
“If we must have a better future, we must create it. The time is now, because aviation future is here…”.
