NASS Pledged Funding To Aviation College Zaria

By Abubakar Sadeeq, Zaria

The National Assembly has pledged  to amend the Act establishing Nigeran College of Aviation Technology, Zaria in Kaduna to pave way for more access to funding.

  The Act, when amended will enable the college have the status similar to Nigeran universities which will allow it access funding especially from TETFUND to improve it’s infrastructural facility.

The Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon.Nnolin Nnaji stated this when he led members of the committee on oversight function at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology,Zaria in Kaduna state Nigeria.

Nnaji noted that when adequately funded,the Aviation college will compete favourably in the international Aviation circle.

  The Chairman noted that the Act has hindered infrastructural development of the college and has had little or no additional facilities since inception about 50 years back.

Nnaji said the college when given the necessary boost will not only enhance nation’s economic growth but also reduce the risk of insecured movement of people and provide man power capacity for the nation’s Aviation industry.

While conducting the committee members round the college, the House Committee Chairnan assured commitment to hasten approval of the college’s budgetary allocation for next fiscal year to enhance rapid development.

Representated by the Vice Chairman of the Committee,Hon.Musa Pali also promised to legislate on the college’s Act to allow access for more funding from educational agencies like TETFUND.

Earlier, the Rector of the college, Captain Abdussalami Mohammed said despite Covid-19 lockdown, the college has successfully conducted 24 online training courses thereby graduating 292 students between January to November this year.

He identified inadequate funding and shortage of required specialized manpower (Instructors) as one of the challenges affecting the College.

Captain Mohammed noted that though the college is the cheapest in the training of pilot anywhere in the world, the high cost of training flying students remain the bottle neck hindering massive enrollment into the college.

The Rector urged the House Committee to address lack of equipment and facilities hampering successful commencement of advance aviation training due to budgetary restrictions.

He reechoed the challenges of land encroachment downsizing the landsize of the institution.