By Patience Chat Moses
Aveteran aviator, Muhammad Bala Jibrin, with over four decades of experience in Nigerian aviation, has raised serious concerns about the potential restructuring of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria. Jibrin, a pilot, flight engineer, and flight dispatcher, also holds degrees in Flight Technology and Air Transportation Technology, shared his insights and concerns, drawing upon his extensive career, which includes serving at directorial levels within the Ministry of Aviation and as a pilot with Nigeria Airways. He is currently an aviation consultant.
Jibrin’s career began over 40 years ago when he completed his NYSC at NCAT. He stated, “I had my NYSC at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology a little over 40 years ago, and I’ve been in aviation first as a trainee…” His deep connection to the institution and the industry has driven him to address the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, regarding the future of NCAT.
The aviator expressed alarm over “conflicting information” regarding the potential “balkanisation” of NCAT, a term he used to describe the division of the college into six separate units, one in each geopolitical zone. He also noted that there was an alternative proposal to create information and outreach centres. While acknowledging that some information is better than none, he stressed the need for clarity. “So we would like the Minister of Aviation to come out clearly and say what is happening about the story of the balkanisation of the college,” he stated.
Jibrin emphasised that NCAT is not a conventional university but a specialised monotechnic. He highlighted the interconnectedness of its various schools: “the flying school… the aeronautical engineering… the communication school, the aviation management school… and of course, the good old safety and security school.” He argued that these schools are not isolated entities but interdependent components of a unified training framework. Having “gone through all the colleges, the schools within the college” during his time at NCAT, he has firsthand knowledge of this interconnectedness.
A key concern is the logistical challenges that would arise from separating these schools. For instance, he pointed out that aspiring air traffic controllers are required to obtain a private pilot licence. If the Flying School were located in Yola and the Air Traffic Control School in Wari, trainees would face the burden of travelling between these distant locations. He illustrated this with a hypothetical, saying, “So somebody would go to Akure to train how to be an engineer while the training aircraft are in another location. So there are labs. And training kits, non-destructive testing kits, and so many other things that the student engineers rely upon.”
Jibrin underscored the importance of practical, hands-on training in aviation. He explained that engineering students benefit from direct interaction with the aircraft they will maintain and the engineers who maintain them. “The engineers who train the engineering students are the same engineers who maintain the aircraft in the flight line for the student pilots,” he noted. This allows students to witness and learn about the “aircraft release into service” procedure, a crucial aspect of aviation safety and maintenance. He warned that separating flight and engineering training would diminish these vital learning opportunities, stating, “So separating the flight training and the engineering training will bring another issue.”
GetSafety, he emphasised, is paramount in the aviation industry. As he put it, “Every person in the aviation industry, be it at the airport, be it at the maintenance hangar, or be it at a fixed-base operations, must know something about safety and emergency procedures.” A centralised training facility like NCAT, he argued, facilitates the dissemination of this safety culture across all disciplines.
He added that NCAT, established in 1965, “essentially the school is celebrating its 60th birthday.” He argued that at a time when “everybody is now going into integration, not disintegration”, the notion of disintegration is counterproductive. He also highlighted the significant investments in specialised equipment and infrastructure at the Zaria campus, including simulators for air traffic control, pilot training, safety, and firefighting. Regarding this, he cautioned, “To say you will uproot it and take it elsewhere, please, there will be more destruction than construction in this respect.”
The veteran acknowledged that the concept of decentralisation might draw parallels from other sectors, such as the Nigerian Law School. However, he argued that the context is different. He explained that the Law School expansion was driven by the increase in universities offering law degrees. In contrast, NCAT’s strength lies in its specialised, high-stakes training, where individual attention is crucial. As he stated, “There is the need for individual attention for individual students. The flight instructors are not permitted to take more than three or four students at a time.”
In conclusion, Jibrin implored the Minister of Aviation to reconsider any plans to fragment NCAT. Instead, he advocated for strengthening the existing infrastructure and building upon NCAT’s six decades of excellence. “In aviation you introduce politics at your own peril. Aviation does not forgive, does not forget,” he warned. He stressed that aviation demands unwavering precision and adherence to global standards. “Aviation is universal and very unique, and everybody must do it internationally and globally the same way, and that’s the essence of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO),” he said.
He urged the Minister to “avoid what should be avoided and concentrate on things that will be for the benefit of everybody,” emphasising that the future safety and progress of Nigerian aviation depend on a strong, integrated, and well-resourced Nigerian College of Aviation.