Airforce, indigenous oil firm to domesticate skills, calibration of aircraft equipment

In a landmark Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Nigerian Airforce and an indigenous oil servicing firm, Mudiame International Limited, the country may soon drastically reduce capital flight used in importing expatriates, oversee training and maintenance of equipment, especially for calibration, welding and non-destructive testing of aircraft and other equipment.

The partnership, which is expected to grow local content in the country is coming on the heel of another move by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in conjunction with Nigerian Welding Institute to domesticate over 90 percent of skills, reverse about $50 billion and fast track the nation’s industrialisation process.

Speaking yesterday during a graduation ceremony for the first set of Airforce officials trained under the MOA, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar said the Airforce has signed partnership with about 100 local firms as part of measures to design local solutions that would help reduce unnecessary spending and conserve foreign exchange.

Managing Director of the group, Sunny Eromosele, who disclosed that the group is strategically looking forward to addressing the challenges of skills in the Air and Naval forces in the country stated that the firm has open up relationship with other African countries to address similar challenges.

President of the Nigeria Institute of Welding, Dr. Solomon Edebiri, who lauded the initiative stated the country is current working on a national qualification system to integrate all skills, thereby domesticating over 95 per cent skills in-country.