Oche Elias, an aviation expert, has urged the Federal Government to prioritise the establishment of Aviation University to promote research in the industry and development in the country.
Elias, who was a former Special Adviser, Technical to the Minister of Aviation, gave the advice on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
According to him, such moves will fast track determinations of the government toward realising self-reliance in the aviation sector.
“Plans were underway to establish Aviation University to promote research, development and production of higher-level management manpower for the industry.
“The aviation university will be different from Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT.
“The university will be fully into R & D and the production of higher-level management manpower needs of the industry.
READ ALSO: Aviation unions suspend strike, reopen NCAA offices
“The university will go into research with the hope that in the near future, we will be able to manufacture aircraft components, until when we are able to produce the aircraft itself, ‘’he said.
The aviation expert said that NCAT had been approved as diploma awarding institution and accepted as the international civil aviation organisation training centre of excellence in West Africa.
He advised the ministry to intensify effort toward actualising its roadmap on airport concession, ensuring maintenance culture at the nation’s airports and making passengers and cargoes hub in West Africa.
He said that if the plan for a new national carrier was accomplished, it would deepen safety by increasing navigational range and strengthen capacity of the industry, which would ensure “tremendous growth of the nation’’.
“The dream of the aviation minister, HadI Sirika is to make the nation’s airports comparable to some of the best in the world, not only in terms of infrastructure, aesthetics and passenger facilitation, but also passenger satisfaction.
“Sirika acknowledges the prime importance of tapping into the huge financial and technical expertise of the private sector, hence the need for concession.
“Bothered by the huge foreign exchange expended by Nigerian airlines abroad for the mandatory maintenance and checks, Sirika has promised to redouble efforts to create maintenance hubs across the country,” he said.
The expert commended Sirika on efforts being put in place to ensure Akano Ibiam International Airport, Enugu was fully rehabilitated and upgraded before Christmas.
NAN
