THE Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace development has set aside N3.7 billion for the establishment of annexes for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in five geo-political zones across the country.
The affected geo-political zones are: Akure, Osubi, Ebonyi, Ilorin and Yola. This was also mentioned as a new project in the appropriation bill to the National Assembly.
Since its establishment, the college only has an annex in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital and the hub of aviation in Nigeria.
Various stakeholders in the sector, had over the years, advocated for the regionalisation of NCAT, but nothing tangible had been achieved due to suspicions from several quarters.
This is just as the aviation college has appropriated the sum of N3, 733,045,114 on the purchase of Air navigation equipment and direct teaching and laboratory cost for the college in the 2025 budget proposal sent to the National Assembly by the Federal Government.
Similarly, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has proposed the total sum of N7 billion on two projects in the financial year period.
The breakdown of the two NCAT projects showed that the aviation college planned to spend N2,133,045,114 on the purchase of air navigational equipment and another N1,600,000,000 on purchase of direct teaching and laboratory costs.
The budget proposal also indicated that the college appropriated the sum of N695,000,000 on the maintenance of aircraft in its fleet.
The institution intended to pay the sum of N100,000,000 on motor vehicle fuel cost, while an additional N150,000,000 would be spent on plant/generator fuel within the same period.
NCAT planned to pay the sum of N270,000,000 as insurance premium for its training aircraft in 2025, while another N633,045,114 would be spent on insurance of the college assets in the new year.
According to NCAT, the project for the insurance of the college assets was already ongoing, which means that the project had already begun.
The appropriation bill also indicated that the management of NCAT intended to spend another N400,000,000 on aircraft spare parts and retrofit/rehabilitation of the Diamond DAA0D to Diamond DA40NG aircraft.
The college also said that the project for the aircraft spare parts and retrofit/rehabilitation was ongoing in the budget proposal.
The college had in February 2020, taken delivery of six Diamond DA40 NG training aircraft from Austria.
The government had said that this was part of a re-fleeting programme of the college that included 20 Diamond airplanes (five twin-engine DA42-VI and 15 single-engine DA40 NG) over the upcoming years.
Sen. Hadi Sirika, the then Minister of Aviation, had said that: In our effort to catch up with technology in line with our approved roadmap, we are happy about our state-of-the-art training aircraft from Diamond.
Our efforts have earned Zaria the status of an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Regional Training Center of Excellence.
NCAT also proposed to spend an additional N500,000,000 on the re-fleeting of NCAT aircraft five twin and 15 single engine airplanes.
This project is also ongoing, according to NCAT in the budget proposal to the college.
Also, NCAT planned to expand the sum of N443,250,057 on the construction of a 150 capacity female hostel for its students, with the project earmarked as ongoing.
It further earmarked the sum of N193,373,000 on the purchase of 50 units of computer systems and accessories for the college library. This project is marked new in the proposal.
It further intended to spend the sum of N300,000,000 on the construction of an office block at the college’s land in Zaria. This project is also ongoing.
Besides, it planned to construct a classroom block at Abuja training centre at the sum of N300,000,000. The project is also ongoing.
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The college also earmarked the sum of N250,000,000 for the payment of Boeing 737 aircraft simulator retention; N180,000 for B737 simulator and other certification, which is ongoing; N120,000,000 for automation of all schools/service departments and another N200,000,000 for the purchase of Aviation Gas (AVGAS) and the project is also ongoing.
Also, it intended to spend another N120,000,000 for the procurement of Jet A1 and dispenser for the college in 2025; N180,000,000 for simulator spare parts and upgrading of ALSIM ALX simulator, which is ongoing; N90,000,000 for the purchase of computers and ICT equipment for the college; N100,000,000 for the ICAO Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE) certification and another N200,000,000 on the expansion and equipping of aeromedical centre.
NAMA in the appropriation bill to the National Assembly, planned to expand the Jotron extended range high power high power stand-alone Very High Frequency (VHF) radio over 10.02 satellite network a 14 en-route station at the sum of N5,000,000,000.
The airspace management company further earmarked N2,000,000,000 for the upgrade of the safe tower project for four major airports in the country.
The airports are the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Omegwa and the Lagos Voice Communication and Control System (VCCS).
and then