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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

Keyamo's policy direction deepens aviation capacity development

From ThisDay · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Nigeria's aviation sector receives a boost with the launch of a training program for Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft engineers.
  • The initiative, a collaboration between United Nigeria Airlines and Boeing, aims to enhance local technical expertise and reduce reliance on foreign maintenance.
  • The program's launch coincides with major Nigerian carriers planning to induct fourteen Boeing 737-800NG aircraft.

Nigeria's ambition to cultivate a world-class aviation workforce has been significantly advanced with the official launch of the United Nigeria Airlines/Boeing B1/B2 Engineers Training Programme for the Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft. This landmark initiative is designed to strengthen local technical capabilities and support the country's rapidly expanding commercial aviation sector.

The training program was formally inaugurated at Aviation Techniks & Trainings International (ATTI) in Ikeja, Lagos. The event was presided over by Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and attended by the Consul General of the United States in Nigeria, Mr. Rick Swart, underscoring the international significance of the collaboration.

The training initiative comes at a critical moment for Nigeria’s aviation industry, coinciding with the planned induction of fourteen Boeing 737-800NG aircraft by three major Nigerian carriers, United Nigeria Airlines, ValueJet, and Air Peace.

— Article TextContextualizing the importance and timing of the new training program.

This development arrives at a crucial juncture for Nigeria's aviation industry. It aligns with the planned induction of fourteen Boeing 737-800NG aircraft by three prominent Nigerian carriers: United Nigeria Airlines, ValueJet, and Air Peace. The timing highlights the industry's growth and the increasing need for skilled local technicians to maintain these modern aircraft.

Obafemi Bajomo, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister on foreign direct investment and Capital Improvement Programmes, spoke at the event, emphasizing the initiative's timeliness and strategic importance. He stated that the program reflects the federal government's dedication to developing indigenous technical capacity and diminishing the nation's dependence on foreign expertise for aircraft maintenance. This move is expected to foster self-sufficiency and create high-value jobs within the Nigerian aviation ecosystem.

Speaking at the event, on behalf of the minister, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister on foreign direct investment and Capital Improvement Programmes, Obafemi Bajomo, described the initiative as both timely and strategic, reflecting the federal government’s commitment to developing indigenous technical capacity and reducing dependence on foreign maintenance expertise.

— Obafemi BajomoHighlighting the government's strategic goals behind the training program.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ThisDay in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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