Nigeria is targeting the opportunity to join the
list of countries producing air crafts as the
President Muhammadu Buhari administration is
set to establish an Aviation University.
The Nation reports that Hadi Sirika who is the
minister of aviation confirmed this plan when he
toured the Nigerian College of Aviation
Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna State on
Saturday, January 7.

He said: “The aviation university will be
different from NCAT; the university will be fully
into research and development and production
of higher level management manpower need of
the industry.
“The university will go into deep 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.
Since the technology is available around the
world, is no longer a hindrance, it is our own
ability and capability to pursue it.”
The minister of aviation noted that Brazil and
India have joined aircraft producing countries
and that Nigeria can do same too.
He said: “If such countries could do it, why not
Nigeria’’.

“The technology is known, we are not
reinventing it; we just put our act together in
doing it. So, the university will cater for that,
while NCAT will continue to provide the services
in the institute.”
Sirika said the decentralisation of NCAT by the
previous administration would make it difficult
for the college to do what it was established to
do.
He said: “Remember, it was the UNDP that
partnered with International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) and Nigerian government to
produce this institution.
“And it is one of its kind, so why are going to
reduce its capacity and capability?. Our own
task is to improve, enhance and upgrade the
capacity and ability of the college to do more.
“But if somebody feels that he has funds to go
and establish a facility somewhere to do some
kind of training, of course, we will support him.”
Capt. Samuel Caulcrick who is the rector of the
college identified funding and obsolete facilities
as some of the bane to the development of the
institution.