In the next decade, the Nigerian Aviation Industry will be replete with the needed technical personnel to promote safe flight operations, grow and development of the industry.
This is coming courtesy of Green Africa Airways. The airline has launched an initiative called ‘g-Future’ to train pilots and help to take away technical personnel like the pilots who have not had the opportunity to type rate.
The first people to benefit from this initiative are pilots, engineers, cabin crew, flight dispatchers and others.
And this initiative has received the blessings of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority NCAA.
At the launch of the initiative tagged g-future, the owner of Green Africa Airways, Babawande Afolabi said, in the next 10 years, over 200 pilots would have been trained, 500 cabin crew, 140 flight dispatchers, 100 engineers and about 500 other professionals.
“When we say other professionals, some people think of our training programme for pilots and engineers but there is a whole lot more within the aviation business, so you have network planning, aviation and aircraft financing”.
He said, the airline was not in fear of whether the personnel after being trained and graduated would leave the airline to seek employment elsewhere.
Babawande explained that, a bond would be signed but negotiated if the personnel decides to leave, adding that, the airline would not want to enslave anyone.
“My fundamental believe though is that the fear of someone leaving should not hold us back from training.If there is going to be a bond there will be a bond in place”.
Green Africa Airways flight operations director, Capt. Sunday Arome explained that, the first beneficiaries would be those already trained and licensed but have no opportunity to go for type rating, adding that, they would be well trained to attain their goals.”And we promise that, even as young as they are in four to five years, they will become captains in this company every pilot that we employ, we are looking at a captain potentially and from day one, we will have a programme for the individual, we will have a mentorship per programme where we develop them”.
“We believe in another five years therefore not just Green Africa if any of them want to leave and want to go and work for another airline they are free but then, we know we have made our contribution to getting talents for the industry as a whole”.
While commending the Green Africa Airways for the initiative, urged the airline to work at ensuring that, Nigerians are given more opportunities in the airline instead of foreigners.
“I like you dream, I like your vision of what you are trying to do but to sustain whatever you are trying to do in Nigeria, you cannot sustain by having foreign manpower to be the majority of your staff”.
As regards poaching, Engr. Ajibola said, “People will come and work for you, they have own their vision, they have their dreams and whatever they are aspiring to do but how long they stay with you depends on the relationship you have with them”.
