The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aviation Solutions Group (ASG), a global aviation multi-service provider group.
The signing which took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, aims to boost the capacity of NCAT in the areas of competencies, training and certification to make the college a regional training centre for civil aviation in Africa.
Under the terms of the MoU, ASG will provide assistance to NCAT for the acquisition of three full flight stimulators and certification of one B737NG full flight simulator. The company will also provide ground handling services, maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) and other training services for the college.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Aviation, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole who signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, described the event as a watershed, which would create new opportunities for the college and the aviation sector in general. He stated that Nigeria was the ultimate destination and hub of aviation in Africa and assured ASG of the government’s commitment to investing in the sector.
The ASG business development executive of ASG, Amb. Vygaudas Usackas, lauded the collaboration and expressed the company’s readiness to ensure the implementation of the MoU to the letter. He described Nigeria as a very important country in Africa with huge potential and a ready market for aviation and disclosed that the group had robust relationships with some domestic airline operators in Nigeria to whom the group has been offering some mutually beneficial services.
The signing of the MoU is another milestone in President Buhari’s efforts to develop the aviation sector in Nigeria. The permanent secretary and the delegation, which included officials of the Ministry of Aviation, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and NCAT, were later taken on a tour of the group’s facilities. Overall, the collaboration between NCAT and ASG is expected to enhance the capacity of the College to provide world-class aviation training and certification and position it as a leading aviation training institution in Africa.
This is a wonderful development.