Nigeria Needs to train Engineers now for TRACON to survive

Multi-billion naira Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) may not stand the test of time unless something is done urgently to ensure that Nigerian engineers are given adequate training.Meanwhile, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, is in possession of a copy of the equipment for training purposes. The TRACON is currently being used effectively at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for the purpose of giving adequate radar coverage for the nation’s airspace. Aliyu Onipede, an engineer, who is also the head of Aviation Management School at NCAT, however, declared that the Federal Government ought to get a copy into the school so that engineers can be trained on its applications and soft wares. “The kind of training those air traffic controllers and engineers of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) went for just two weeks or there about, cannot solve the problem. We need to send some engineers for factory test, as a copy is sited in Zaria so that we can continue to train young people.” Onipede stated that having a maintenance contract with the manufacturers would not be serve the nation as much as when there are trained personnel either trained at NCAT or the ones sent for factory training. “We need a copy here, we cannot continue to send our people overseas for two or three weeks in the name of training, we will not achieve anything with that, we should at least send them out for training for about two years, that is when we are ready to develop our young engineers. “We did same for the F28 simulator when we sent some people to the factory. They were there for the duration of assembly and came back with the equipment. They were very useful to the nation until the aircraft type was faced out altogether.” He then pointed out that it was not late, as the Port-Harcourt and Kano airports TRACON are still under construction, and urged that some engineers should be deployed to work with the manufacturers, more importantly, in order to pass whatever they learn to others. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) announced it has taken delivery of a large bulk of equipment for the Port-Harcourt and Kano airports. According to Supo Atobatele, general manager, public affairs of the agency, the civil works for the two sites had been awarded and ongoing. The five containers, bearing the equipment have been cleared at the Lagos sea port and they are being moved to the various sites, while 15 more containers for the two sites and other five remote locations are expected from France before the end of the month. NAMA states authoritatively that it does not have any equipment at the port waiting for Customs’ clearance, but the agency will however like to make it clear that the presidential mandate on the completion of the project by November this year, is still on course. Meanwhile, the factory acceptance test for the radar system and that of the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) had been carried out. The VSAT installation, which is going to be the last phase of the project, is scheduled for installation October this year and will be completed November at all the sites. At present, two locations of the project - Lagos and Abuja - are operating for effective air traffic management. The rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Adebayo Araba, an aircraft captain, stated that there is no need for state governments in Nigeria to have flying schools, rather, such states desirous of having aviation colleges should collaborate with NCAT, with a view of addressing the dearth of technical manpower in the aviation sector.Araba, who listed long gestation period and massive capital requirements as hurdles states may find insurmountable in setting up an aviation college, also noted that the current financial crisis in the country may pose as a road block for the realisation of their dreams.The NCAT chief executive, who addressed reporters at the college recently, explained that the geographical terrain of some states are not conducive for the site of such flying schools, especially prevailing weather condition in the states, which project promoters have not fully explored before embarking on the project.State governments that have expressed interest in setting up aviation flying college include; Kwara, Akwa Ibom, and others, which are building airports with a view of adding flying colleges, as one of the ways to address the dearth of skilled technical manpower in the aviation sector. Araba explained that within the next three years, NCAT will through its integrated and rapid capacity building programme, be able to fill the vacuum in manpower needs in the aviation sector. He said from the single functional aircraft he met on ground last year when appointed as the rector, NCAT can now boast of about 25 trainer aircraft, which are fully functional, including plans by the college to acquire a simulator to fast-track training of pilots and other technical aviation professionals.According to him, the pilots training programme, which usually takes about 70 weeks, can be reduced to about 60 weeks if the right equipment is in place.He however lauded some state governments including Kaduna, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom, and others, which have assisted in sponsoring the training of pilots, aircraft engineers, air traffic controllers, and other cadre of aviation professionals in the college.In line with the quota allocation policy of the government, 36 students were given scholarships yearly to reflect all the states in the country, even as some airlines, including Arik Air, Aero, and others have been partners in offering scholarships for the training of pilots.