By Daniel Eteghe
Aviation Minister, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze has decried the shortage of aviation personnel to effectively manned and manage air transportation that was responsible for transporting people across the country.

Disclosing this development during the workshop on Human Capital Development and Succession Plan in the Aviation Industry at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja Lagos, Mrs. Njeze affirmed that Nigeria has not been able to meet up with the stipulated standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in having trained and skilled manpower in the aviation industry.

“The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety and oversight audit manual, document 9735 states clearly that member states should have trained and skilled manpower in sufficient number. The reality on the ground is far from the ICAO standard” she stressed.

She further noted that the shortage of human capital in the aviation industry was as a result of policy neglect over the years adding that despite the poor policies on ground, implementation of sure policies never saw the light day.

Enumeration the numerous challenges that was bedeviling the aviation industry to include poor infrastructural decay, undercapitalization, negative impact of global recession and so on, Mrs. Njeze stressed that the shortage of personnel keeps depleting the pool of human resources in the aviation industry.

Mrs. Njeze however called on all the stakeholders in the industry to create a pool of well trained and well groomed aviation experts and managers to give the industry a solid footing and an enduring future noting that if safety must be attained then the issue of adequate personnel must be addressed.

“The shortage of personnel as a challenge before us calls for cooperative and collaborative industry-wide effort that can generate the desired results. I therefore enjoin you to develop a greater commitment that will deliver a solid human capital development roadmap for the industry”.

“On its part, the Government has stepped up efforts to boost training and re-training in the industry especially in the area of budgetary allocation. Government is also repositioning the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria for greater performance and productivity even as it encourages and support re-training programmes of the parastatals” she added.