At least 170 Nigerian pilots are without employment, the Patron of Nigerian Professional Pilots, Capt. Noggie Megison has said.
Megison disclosed this when he led his group on a courtesy visit to the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Fola Akinkuotu in Lagos.
Megison further explai-ned to our correspondent exclusively that he was worried about the growing numbers of jobless indige-nous qualified pilots hence his decision to gather all indigenous unemployed pilots under the auspices of Nigerian Professional Pilots (NPP).
He said “I set up this platform for young pilots who haven’t found jobs as common pool where employers can tap from. It also provides them the opportunity to come together and get acquainted with developments in the aviation sector so they don’t lose sight of changes in the sector rather than just sit at home and do nothing.”
According to him, 170 pilots, with Nigerian license have registered as members of the NPP and meets regularly adding that he believes there could be more unemployed pilots who haven’t registered with NPP.
Captain Megison who has spent over three decades in the aviation sector noted that it is critical these young pilots are engaged. “I can’t employ all of them so I advised them to come together so they can collectively put forth their plight to relevant stakeholders in the industry. Going forward, we will be creating awareness about the young pilots’ predicaments. The awareness will also tell industry operators there is a pool of young pilots they can draw from rather than engaging expatriate pilots alone” he explained.
He said “If we don’t address ingenious pilots’ unemployment, soon we would be shocked with what has hit us. As we speak, Kano State alone is training 100 pilots in Jordan, the Niger Delta Development Commission is training 74 in South Africa, the Aviation School in Zaria should graduate about 125 by December next year, in addition to the several others being trained in Ilorin. We should have about 500 pilots joining the market in about a year; where would they work?, “ he asked.
He noted they can’t go work for America or Britain, they should work in Nigeria.
“So we are looking at opportunities of engaging the government on how best we can reduce pilot unemployment, one of which is to create a better aviation environment for local skills. We must create a conducive environment for our young pilots to grow” he said. .
He said currently expatriate pilots dominate the market to the detriment of local pilots.
Capt Megison further estimated that there are a minimum 800 expatriates’ pilots flying in Nigeria; “yet we have just about 200 Nigerian pilots out of job.”
“There must be deliberate transfer of technology and skills to the younger generation. Nigerian pilots should have a fair share of the jobs in the Nigerian aviation industry. For instance, there is nothing wrong in giving us 300 slots form the 800 the expatriates are enjoying. Though I don’t blame the expatriates, we opened our doors for them to enter feely” he said.
He also explain further that, if the statistics of 150 private jets operating in Nigeria by the minister of aviation is anything to go by, those 150 jets could be employing at least 600 pilots, saying most of them, if not all, are expatriates

http://dailytrust.info/index.php/news/2617-unemployment-hits-nigerian-pilots-170-jobless

Just bad

Why would nigerian pilots be employed, when there is no good aviation school in the country and you cannot train on the job. If they went to the best aviation colleges overseas, they would comeback as expatriates. That is what NIGERIA has turned into now.

Seriously.....? Do they know how many engineers are unemployed?

Let me give them the advice, everybody gives to unemployed youths in Nigeria, start a business, become self employed, let money work for you and not you for money.

Only 170?




Well I'd advise it be curbed before they fill up to thousands

Unemployment 'HITS'........just ONLY 170 without work as pilot.

Then how will we decribe that of Engineers? ROCKS?

They can make them Co-pilots, and if there are already, then employ them as 'reserved' co-pilot!

See this people o!

Just 170 pilots without job and it HITS, when millions of graduates are roaming the streets without jobs.

Abi pilots special ni?

I think politicians too wil soon xperience un-employment..useles people

Just 170? What about d millions of graduates roaming the streets with expired CV's? Dem go get job,make dem wait small.

Wish unemployment rate in other sectors can make headlines too.

Unemployment ke! Wen DANA airline de 5nd people,,,,nawao

They can be employed as air crash investigators.

When palava land and some set shout say; "he know concern me" I laugh and cry not knowing palava are like flowing water and breeze, the tin dey circulate. Better address problem either its affect you or not.

Been a stakeholder in the aviation sector, I have known overtime that Nigerian airlines are the ones killing the local innitiative. They always resort to expatriates simply because they are cheaper to get in terms of renumeration and salary compared to Nigerian pilot.

The situation is even worrisome to the extent that almost all the ground operations of arik air are eexpatriates especially those manning the international route. Moreso, dearth of aviation schools with up-to-date equipment is another problems contributing to this unemployment. For a pilot to start flying in Nigeria, d basics is for him to have atleast 200hours flight time. How can a fresh graduate get 200hour flight time when there is inadequate flight training equipments.

They should turn to farming, that's the trend for now, or what makes them different from other Nigerian graduate that are being advised to go for farming. Is it becos other professional bodies did not gather their unemployed graduate?

How many airline companies with their nice aircrafts are parked on our ramp in lagos. These govt bodies can easily help the masses by giving these airlines license to fly, curbing unemployment of pilots nd co. At least i know about 3 non flying airlines

Some of us are talking out of ignorance. For a pilot to cough out about 10million naira just to be a pilot, do you think its easy? Moreover, pilot is very different from degree, we are talking of practical aspect.

You hardly find an unemployed pilot in any country. If not that our airlines are opting for expratriates, all those 170 wou have got a job.

For your information, the more a pilot stays at home, the more he becomes a sky-risk to flight. Since the job is about practical, a pilot must always fly every now and then or else, be expecting an air crash soon.

Infact, no pilot suppose to stay a day at home.....they are different from your yeye certificate una dey carry all about

ayobase: Unemployment 'HITS'........just ONLY 170 without work as pilot.

Then how will we decribe that of Engineers? ROCKS?

They can make them Co-pilots, and if there are already, then employ them as 'reserved' co-pilot!

See this people o!

Just 170 pilots without job and it HITS, when millions of graduates are roaming the streets without jobs.

Abi pilots special ni?

Only? and they are complaining? if all other professions has 170 then we won't say there Is unemployement.
Make them go sit down jor, when they 17,000 then we will listen to them.

life_style: 170,000 ?

How many aero planes de 9ja?!

Peace mass transit can hire them.

jude d writer: Just 170? What about d millions of graduates roaming the streets with expired CV's? Dem go get job,make dem wait small.

CV don dey get expiring date ni?

dolphinife: Some of us are talking out of ignorance. For a pilot to cough out about 10million naira just to be a pilot, do you think its easy? Moreover, pilot is very different from degree, we are talking of practical aspect.

You hardly find an unemployed pilot in any country. If not that our airlines are opting for expratriates, all those 170 wou have got a job.

For your information, the more a pilot stays at home, the more he becomes a sky-risk to flight. Since the job is about practical, a pilot must always fly every now and then or else, be expecting an air crash soon.

Infact, no pilot suppose to stay a day at home.....they are different from your yeye certificate una dey carry all about

Just employ them and save us the trouble please.
We are not complaining with our yeye certificate oo. In fact the yeye certificate is feeding us giving us our daily bread when 10 million certificate has failed so much for penny wise pound foolish.

dolphinife: Some of us are talking out of ignorance. For a pilot to cough out about 10million naira just to be a pilot, do you think its easy? Moreover, pilot is very different from degree, we are talking of practical aspect.

You hardly find an unemployed pilot in any country. If not that our airlines are opting for expratriates, all those 170 wou have got a job.

For your information, the more a pilot stays at home, the more he becomes a sky-risk to flight. Since the job is about practical, a pilot must always fly every now and then or else, be expecting an air crash soon.

Infact, no pilot suppose to stay a day at home.....they are different from your yeye certificate una dey carry all about

Other peoples certificate na yeye because they travelled to mercury to get their own certificate.if dem no see plane fly make them go fly kite .All them na fly

c

The minister of aviation shouldn't play with this figure released he should hurry up to tackle the mess now before it becomes that of Engineers working as accountants in the banks,Medical professioners in the bakery,young lawyers applying to drive Dangote trucks. God help naija

[quote author=Adagba1][/quote]who sent them to pilot school? Their usual advice to graduates'' they should go and start business and be self employed''

Make dem kukuma go fly paper kite...afterall na still flying