MINISTER OF AVIATION AND AEROSPACE DEVELOPMENT INAUGURATES A STATE-OF-THE-ART AVIATION TRAINING CENTER IN OGUN STATE 08-11-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has inaugurated a state-of-the-art aviation training center in Ogun State, emphasizing the importance of local content in driving capacity growth in the aviation industry.
Speaking during the tour and inauguration of the facility, the Minister highlighted the need to conserve foreign exchange and reduce the cost of training personnel abroad.
The new aviation training center is expected to boost local content development and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign training facilities.
Minister of aviation and aerospace development Mr Festus Keyamo revealed that the federal government has been cutting down on foreign travels, directing heads of aviation agencies and staff to find local content for training.
He expressed his disappointment with the high cost of sending personnel for training abroad, citing examples of facilities in Cameroon and other countries that are smaller than the new training center.
“I have gone around myself the world, some are just in one building, with big name. They will bring one big paper for us saying that one worldwide global Atlantic when you go there, the global is one building in one country because it is in Europe or in Asia we will now begin to pay dollars to send them abroad”.
Mr. Keyamo emphasized the need to look inwards and develop local capacity, rather than relying on foreign training facilities.
He also announced plans to generate policies to support the growth and survival of such facilities, ensuring the aviation ecosystem grows in Nigeria.
He encouraged other government agencies, such as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to utilize the facility for training, rather than sending trainers to big hotels in major cities.
“Let us look inwards to get training, we are looking for money for simple things. We are looking for money to pay for Wi-Fi at the airports, we’re looking for money to develop infrastructure. I want capacity to be built but at a reasonable cost and within Nigeria we need money for so many things, we need to conserve our foreign exchange”.
Managing Director of the training center, Mrs. Folake Soyannwo speaks on the capability of the center.
“Covers safety, survival and emergency response training and this is in various sectors. Today we’re focusing on the aviation sector and in terms of accreditation, we go for what is recognized in the sector, we go for the NCAA accreditation, but our focus is always targeted on the international accreditation as well”.
The facility, which offers a range of training programs, including fire simulation training, is expected to provide a serene and conducive environment for personnel to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge.