The National Content Development Board ( NCDB) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), are worried that rotary wing operators are not doing enough to deepen indigenous capacity in engineering component of helicopter operations , where expatriates still hold sway.To escape the hammer of regulatory bodies, the operators, are restrategising to ensure compliance, reports KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR.
Helicopter operators are taking steps to close noticeable gaps in compliance with Nigeria’s local content laws.
Hitherto, these operators have spent huge sums of foreign exchange on hiring foreign pilots and aircraft engineers, at the expense of training indigenous professionals.
Many operators still have expatriate pilots and aircraft engineers in their employ, though, which is constituting a deep hole in their pockets.
The regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) and the National Content Development Board ( NCDB), are not impressed with the level of technology transfer by airlines, thereby forcing them to design a schedule on how indigenous professionals would be trained to deepen local content .
This is meant to address allegations that expatriate pilots and engineers dominate the helicopter arm of airline operations.
But, the affected helicopter firms : Bristow , Aero and PanAfrican Aviation have clarified that more Nigerians are being trained to take over from foreigners .
Their clarification came on the heels of the implementation of expatriate quota policy, where a certain per cent of professionals are required to fill the manpower gaps .
Caverton Helicopters insists that it is committed to the development of indigenous capacity in the rotary arm wing of the business, and that it has over the years been training its technical personnel to indigenise its operations.
Only last year, the NCAA carried out an audit on both fixed and rotary wing operators, mandating them to draw up a training schedule for indigenous professionals , in particular aircraft and helicopter engineers .
The objective of the training according to the NCAA, is to bridge the gap in expatriate quota, where helicopter operators should have increasing number of locals in their employment in engineering areas of its operations .
Major helicopter operators include : Caverton , Bristow , Aero and PanAfrican Aviation .
On an annual basis, Bristow Helicopters on its part, has been sponsoring the training of indigenous helicopter pilots and engineers both at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology ( NCAT ), in Zaria, Kaduna State and its academy in the United States.
The investment in training of Nigerian pilots and engineers, according to the Managing Director, Captain Akin Oni, is part of efforts to deepen local participation in the helicopter arm of its business .
Such move, he said, is intended to meet with the local content mandate of the government, by gradually easeing out of foreigners in the helicopter sector.
Only last week, one of the major rotary wing operators, Caverton Helicopters Limited, graduated 12 of its personnel as helicopter engineers specialising in the handling of AW139 type rating .
Caverton is the only helicopter operator that has Nigerian engineers already type-rated on the aircraft type .
The helicopter firm also trained two NCAA inspectors from its directorate of airworthiness in the AW139 type rating .
The General Manager in charge of aircraft registration and airworthiness at the NCAA, Chinyere Totti, has described the feat as a major milestone in the sector.
He said the NCAA, over time, has complained about the reluctance of airlines, whether in the fixed or rotary arm, to train their indigenous personnel in critical areas, such as engineering, where expatriates dominate.
He said the authority will continue to insist that airlines encourage the training of their personnel to deepen local content, adding that the training is very important to any airline organisation, and must be taken seriously.
He described Caverton Helicopters as a firm that takes training of its personnel seriously, as it adheres to an agreement reached in the last audit to ensure that its key personnel are sent for training in critical areas to develop indigenous capacity .
The NCAA official disclosed that very soon, the authority will establish its training academy for the development of indigenous capacity in the aviation sector, saying NCAA is monitoring operators to ensure that they adhere to the training programme for their staff .
The Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters, Captain Josiah Choms, said the firm is committed to bridging the gap in manpower by training more of its personnel in type-rating courses .
He said :”This is another milestone in our effort and commitment to develop local capacity within the Aviation sector of the Nigeria economy. Today we commemorate the successful completion of the AW139 Type Rating course by another batch of engineers. The course was delivered by the renowned REH Helicopters Limited in the United Kingdom at the Executive Flight Facilty at Ikeja Lagos.
“As you may be aware, there is a shortfall in the pool of type-rated engineers in the country. Caverton has a dedicated programme to train and give types to indigenous engineers on an ongoing basis,” he said, adding that the investment in training, ties-in with the vision of the Nigerian government on local content in so many ways. Indigenous staff are trained to world standards and deployed within our operations.
“We do not have to spend scarce foreign exchange recruiting staff from all over the world. In this way, we build indigenous capacity and also stem capital flight.“
The Chairman of Caverton Helicopters, Adeniyi Makanjuola, expained that by collaborating with renowned training providers to deliver training in-country, and having the oversight of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Caverton has demonstrated that it is an innovative company that can adequately adapt the business to meet changes in the operating environment.
Makanjuola said, as a company, Caverton strongly believes that Nigerians can compete favourably with the best in the world if given the opportunity.
He said: “This is the abiding lesson from our own corporate history, a lesson that we have turned into an article of faith. It is our belief that a critical aspect of giving opportunity to Nigerians is providing them the scarce skill-sets and the experience to compete in highly technical areas.
“We are proud to say that we are contributing to the pool of trained indigenous workforce for the benefit of the company and the greater good of the aviation sector and the country as a whole. “
According to Mr. Sean Ward, Deputy Technical Manager Shell Contract at Caverton, the training would add value to the operations of the firm in terms of enhancing local capacity .
He said :” The engineers will be positioned within the company to the operational bases that will add more of the practical elements required to the theoretical knowledge they have obtained to become unrestricted Licensed Type Rated AW139 Engineers.
“During this time period, the Engineering Training Department, as well as, the Maintenance Managers on the respective operational bases will act as Mentors and provide a structured path in their development process.”
He said it should be noted that as the largest operator of AW 139 aircraft in the region and the Authorised Agusta Westland Service Centre, the company’s vision vision is to be a one-stop-shop for training and logistics services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“This offers boundless opportunities to those who have the skills that the graduands have obtained. Caverton Helicopters has made significant investments towards human capacity development in Nigeria,” he said
The company has trained local pilots, engineers and seafarers in support of its aviation and marine logistics service .
“This in line with government’s intention to increase indigenous participation in the industry through the development of human capacity, as stipulated in the Nigerian Content Development Act of 2010.
“We will not rest on our laurels. We will continue to contribute our quota to ensuring that highly skilled indigenous technical manpower is added to the workforce for the benefit of the Nigerian economy,” Ward said.
In his contribution, the General Manager, Monitoring and Programmes Evaluation, National Content Development Board, Chijoke Okere, said the board is working to ensure that many airlines are committed to the training of Nigerians as helicopter aircraft engineers .
The driving force for such, he explained, is to reduce the transfer of Nigerian jobs and employment opportunities to foreigners through deepening of local content .
He said in line with the 2010 National Content Development Board Act, airlines ought to provide training for their personnel to enhance local capacity in specific areas of helicopter operations .
He said the Nigerian content Act is being pursued as an instrument to develop capacity for Nigerian firms in terms of human and material resources .
He said :” Our mandate is to develop local content in areas of helicopter operations, which border on safety and security without any compromise to standards .
“Caverton has shown that it is committed to local content , even as we expect more from it.
“This training is enough evidence that Caverton is committed to developing Nigerian manpower needs.”
He however urged the engineers to report to the board any violation in the local content act by Caverton to enable the board monitor its operations .
In her remarks on behalf of the graduands, Engineer Adesuwa Ekhator described the training as unique in the helicopter arm of the business, even as she called on other operators to facilitate capacity building programmes that would deepen local manpower , reduce risks , improve safety and enhance efficiencies.
