Ruqayya Suleiman from Bakori LGA of Katsina
State has become the first female pilot from the
state. She is one of the 15 pilots trained in
South Africa under the full scholarship
programme of the Petroleum Trust Development
Fund (PTDF) as international certified
commercial pilots.
According to Raqayya's father, her dream of
becoming a pilot could not have come true
without the scholarship and emotional support
from the PTDF.

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Today, a joyful Mr. Suleiman is excited that his
young daughter has broken the cultural barrier
that often hold girls from her region back from
acquiring higher education.
The Executive Secretary of PTDF, Femi Ajayi,
explained that the aim of the scholarship is to
create capacity for the Oil and Gas sector and
that with the support of President Goodluck
Jonathan and the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani
Allison-Mudueke, the agency is fulfilling its
mission.
Helicopter pilots are key professionals in the Oil
and Gas sector.
Corroborating the Executive Secretary, the
head, Industry collaboration Unit of the PTDF,
Barrister Timipre Wolo said before the
establishment of the agency, the industry was
dominated by expatriates.
“The country needed to build its indigenous
capacity to make sure it fills up the available
vacancies.
“Mostly, oil and gas activities in Nigeria are
offshore and even those onshore; one has to fly
to the locations because of the terrain of the
Niger Delta. So helicopters became the major
means of transportation,” she said.
Another beneficiary of the scheme, Angel
Odumodu from Port Harcourt in Rivers State said
he was shocked when he got the call from the
PTDF. “I wasn't expecting it but now I am a
pilot and the whole family is excited”.
Also Ogoromsi Apiri from Ogbia in Bayelsa State,
a beneficiary, said he had always been curious
to know how jets and helicopters fly, but that
his dream of becoming a pilot seemed impossible
when his father died. But the PTDF came to his
rescue with the scholarship.
From Kaduna is 18 year-old Tosin Ajibola, an
indigene of Kwara State who is one of the 20
children of his father with four wives.
He said: “I wanted to be a pilot but I realized it
will cost me between 12 to 20M Naira to study
abroad. My father who has 20 of us to take care
of would not be able to afford the cost, so I told
myself that I may has as well let go the
dream”.
Today, he is grateful to the scheme that has
made him Nigeria’s youngest pilot.
And from Zaria in Kaduna State is Jesuleke
Elizabeth Babatunde, an indigene of Ondo State
who disclosed that she and her husband had
searched on-line a fruitlessly for such a
scholarship until PTDF offered her the lifeline.
With the success achieved with this first batch,
Mr. Ajayi, PTDF's Executive Sectary believes
that this is a dream come true for the trainees
as the agency has given them a rare opportunity
to improve their lives