The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it would continue to ensure training and retraining of personnel in the country’s aviation industry.
The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Murtar Usman said training is vital to the aviation industry because of the critical importance of the sector in nation’s economic development.
Usman who was represented at the occasion by Mr. Joe Jimoh, Deputy General Manager, Public Affairs, made this known during the flag-off of the training of aviation correspondents at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and noted that training is key to manpower development.
“The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requires all civil aviation authorities in the world to have requisite professionals in sufficient number. Therefore our staff is exposed to relevant trainings all over the world. This is to ensure the Authority provides a robust regulation for the aviation industry.
“It is against this background that the NCAA has continually endeavoured to extend similar trainings to the media corps over the years. You will agree with me that the media is critical to the growth of global aviation. To underscore the strength of the media, several decades ago, the press has been referred to as the Fourth Estate of the Realm. In other words, the fourth arm of government,” the Director General said.
He remarked that as a result of its compliant with industry standards, NCAA had continually endeavoured to extend similar trainings to the media corps over the years, stressing that the media was critical to the growth of global aviation.
Also the Rector of NCAT, Capt. Muhammed Abdulsalami, called for accurate reporting of the sector by journalists covering the sector.
Mohammed noted that accurate reportage of the aviation sub-sector is key to ensuring all ground growth and project the industry better.
“To ensure accuracy in the reportage of a sensitive and technical field as aviation requires training and so training the fourth estate of the realm is important to make sure they report right and help grow the sector. Unless journalists are trained adequately on the subject matter, they will not be able to properly and adequately report properly and accurately about the field. It is not everyone who can be an aviation correspondent and when you read headlines written by people who do not cover the beat or are untrained you will note.”
