Coalition trains 60 students in aviation manpower development

Abiola Seun

The National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation employees (NBCFAE) in Nigeria and US has trained 60 secondary schools students from Lagos and Ogun states.

The 3- day aviation educational career academy training, which was to grow manpower for the nation’s Aviation Industry, was to educate the students and encourage them to take up career in aviation.

The students between 11-17 years of age were taught by aviation professionals, air traffic controllers, operations staff, aviation security, aeronautical engineers, fire and rescue among others.They were also given task to perform to emphasize the importance of team work.

President NBCFAE Nigeria, Mr. Amos Edino said there was no better time than now to do when they are still in the secondary schools.

According to him, many students are interested in aviation but they do not know where to go to get the requisite enlightenment and the area they would want to specialise.He stated that, the program, ninth in the series ,was organised to address that need, stressing that, investing in their future is key which is in line with the theme for this year: The Future is Now.

“A lot of kids when they grow up they don’t have exposure about what they want to do, catching them young is quite an interesting thing to do so that these kids as they growing they would have a focus and they would have an idea of what they want to do in the future”.

“We are investing in their future not giving them cash but giving them, knowledge, information, information and contacts and if you have those, you go places”.

The National Vice President, NBCFAE, Ejide Fashina said, this second year post- COVID camp was wonderful and a huge success.

According to her, this is the ninth year of the NBCFAE ACE camp in Nigeria and look forward to the tenth year for a bigger camp.

Another member of the US NBCFAE branch, Bridget Turner, noted that, the camp has helped to expose the students to careers and opportunities in the aviation community, teach them about aviation safety, technology, aircraft, airspace system, others.

“The ACE camp is to Empower 60 Nigerian students to pursue career in aviation”.

The Airport Manager, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Mrs. Victoria Shinaba, while declaring the ACE Camp closed, described the students as future aviators with the knowledge their have been given.

Mrs. Shinaba represented by Mr. Gbolahan Ayenla stated that, there are lots of opportunities to be filled by the younger ones as many are retiring from the system after 35 years of service, especially from the agencies.

During the 3 -day programme, professional aviators ,aeronautical engineers, aviation security, operational staff, air traffic controllers came to talk to the students in their different fields.

They were also taught about the essence of team work and were put through different activities ranging from drawing, building things, balloon bursting among others and given task to perform.

Highlights of the end of the day 3-day educational programme was a tour with the students to the airside of the airport, the TRACON and radar sites, control tower, the hangars to see in reality what they have been taught.