NCAT will not increase school fees for now —Rector

WITH the impact of the COVID-19 on the aviation sector, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria has declared that it has no intention of increasing school fees even as it hinted that it was working frantically to resume training in line with the guidelines as issued by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), for ATO’s restart.

Equally, the Rector of the college, Captain Abdulsalami Mohammed has advocated the introduction of student loan facilities to make education affordable and accessible to students from poor backgrounds.

This is just as he said in two years from now when the industry rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, manpower would be required to handle the demand for air travel as forecast by Aviation bodies.

Speaking at a virtual meeting with the theme: ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation Training in Africa’ organised by Young  African Aviation Professional Association (YAAPA), Mohammed said the college did not envisage any increase in school fees for now.

He used the opportunity to call for the introduction of student loan facility as it is being done in European countries to make aviation training affordable and accessible to students who were not buoyant enough to pay for their training.

According to him, Federal government, States government, Airlines and Civil Aviation Authorities of other countries have been assisting students with scholarships to train in the college.

The training of the next generation of aviation professionals Mohammed stated was key in anticipation of the growth in demand for air travel in not too far future while he urged the Corporate world to join in the training of the youths, adding that the college has all the facilities for training and replete with qualified and experienced instructors to handle all the courses the college offers.

Speaking on safety in view of the ongoing pandemic,  the NCAT boss stated: “staff, students, visitors must wear facemasks, physical distancing will be ensured in the classrooms, hostels and cafeteria, there will be new procedures for pilots when they train in groups, 20 students per class for social distancing.

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