NCAT seeks increased funding to boost aviation training facilities

The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, has urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation, to boost its funding to address pressing capital project needs.

The Acting Rector of NCAT, Mr Joseph Imalighwe, made this appeal on Sunday in Lagos.

He also expressed excitement over the recertification of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for meeting global standards.

Imalighwe described the recertification as a testament of the college’s move to digital model of training from the traditional method.

He said that NCAT collaborates with other training institutions and universities to improve its curriculum.

Imalighwe highlighted some of NCAT’s recent achievements to include the establishment of the Airport Emergency Training (AET) School, which offers specialised courses such as firefighter training and airport emergency procedures.

According to him, NCAT has formed training partnerships with organisations like the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).

Imalighwe, however, identified the institute’s challenges as inadequate training facilities, hostel accomodations and cost of aviation gasoline.

Others, he added, were shortage of instructors, encroachment on college land, aged infrastructure and inadequate budgetary allocations as well as low remuneration for staff compared to industry standards.

Imalighwe emphasised that NCAT contributes 45 per cent of licensed personnel to the aviation industry and urged the government to allocate more resources to sustain its ICAO TrainAir Plus Training Centre of Excellence status.

Speaking of the colleges’ inactive Boeing 737 simulator, the Rector disclosed that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, had sent experts to evaluate it.

“We require increase in our budget, the purchase of a fire-tender to be dedicated for the airport emergence training school.

“We also require about 200 computers for the ICT centre as well as capacity training for the college instructors.

“The ICAO Centre of Excellence regional officials just came to recertify us after three years, we do recertification with ICAO every three years, even NCAA came a week after to recertify us,” he said.

He also said that the college had undergone tremendous improvements in the areas of facility upgrade and development of new ones, trainings of staff, among others.

“We have just bought Zaria Hotel because we understand the limitation of accommodations within the college, the contractor is starting renovation soon.

“The hostels are not enough and the building of our 150 guest rooms, the contractor has taken possession of the place so that he will start construction

“The college fire simulator is working very well. The simulator that we have challenges with is the flight simulator; the Boeing 737 simulator.

“However, we are facing challenges with the Boeing 737 flight simulator,” he said.

“The minister has dispatched a team to evaluate it, and work will commence soon. Once the NCAA certifies it, the simulator will become fully operational, as the initial delay was due to the need for training required for certification,” he explained.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NCAA had in October awarded accreditation to NCAT as an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) training provider.