Green light Glows At International Aviation College, As kwara Lays Carpet For Nigerian Airforce- By Babatunde Opoola

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar and Gov.Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq

    The International Aviation College Ilorin, IAC, Kwara State, is a renewed hope for intergovernmental partnership. Enormous and breathtaking are words that aptly describe the emerging success story of the aviation college.

    Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq's  visit to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar at the Airforce Headquarters few weeks ago where he discussed partnership with the Airforce boss on how to revive operational activities of the International Aviation College, Ilorin, is a fulfillment of the government’s effort to partner with relevant agencies, which is globally regarded as a panacea for infrastructural deficit and developmental challenges.

   The benefits of the visit is thus manifesting with the visit by a high powered delegation from the Airforce Headquarters led by Air Vice Marshal  Bagare, to the IAC on Thursday 23rd July, 2020.

    But Abdulrazaq himself, a great digital personality, who is focused and futuristic, has provided leadership where it counts and created a necessary trust that has made Kwara State an investment destination in Nigeria and a milestone in public- private sector initiative.

    Governor Abdulrazaq underscores these developmental challenges when during his visit to the Nigerian Airforce he had to apologise to the authorities over how its previous relationship with the Aviation College went sour.

    Until recently, the Nigerian Air Force was training some of its officers at the Aviation College Ilorin. However, the agreement was terminated few years ago following alleged mishandling of funds meant for training on the part of the state. The sour relationship, it was gathered, made the Air Force to switch the training of its officers to South Africa.

    Considering that the past government used bond to establish International Aviation College in Ilorin and it is equally expedient that the institution generates money as expected to finance the debt. It is on this note that the present Governor met with the Air force management to discuss how they can enroll the potential officers of the Airforce to the institution and continue its patronage.

    Towards jumpstarting this recovery process at IAC, the governor despite the economic downturn occasioned by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has committed funds into the College towards ensuring the facility serves its purpose.

    Kwarans are already excited about the economic gains of the project which is a manifestation of many good things happening in the state.

    The college which is the first privately owned Aviation Institution in the country, is the second Aviation College in Nigeria, 35 years after the federal Government owned, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria. Initially created to provide pilot training and aviation short courses, the college has broadened its curriculum to include aviation engineering (Mechanic), Helicopter pilot, airport recurrent training including pilot simulator training and in-flight(flight attendant, as well as airline dispatcher and air traffic controller) training.

    Across the country and even beyond, the benefits are enormous. The college has provided cutting-edge total aviation training that is responsive to national and international level challenges of the industry. It also desires to
produce world-class professional aviation practices that would effectively occupy human resources gaps in the nation’s aviation industry.

    The shortage of foreign pilots that staff our local airlines would be adequately taken care of in view of the fact that huge expansion in china, India and the Middle East has caused serious shortage of pilots for our Local aviation industry.