Bill to transform Zaria Aviation College to tertiary institution underway – Reps

The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Mr. Nnolim Nnaji, Friday said the bill to transform the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria to full-pledged tertiary institution has been sent to the House by the Executive.

Nnaji made this known during an oversight visit to the college, promising that the bill will be passed in good time.

While expressing satisfaction with what he called proper maintenance of operational facilities at the college, Nnaji said the committee would do everything within its jurisdiction to ensure the upgrade of the college to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

He described NCAT as the best pilot-training institution in Africa, adding that when the college is upgraded it will allow it to access funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund).

Nnaji added: “We also discussed on the issue of their runway to be upgraded from 1.6 to 2.4 kilometers, so that they can be able to receive bigger planes and emergencies too. The issue of the encroachment of the college’s land by the neighbouring communities would also be looked into with a view of finding solution.”

Rector of the college, Captain Abdussalami Mohammed, said funding remains the major challenge of NCAT and urged the members to assist in that direction.

He said: “As you know, we are an agency of the Ministry of Aviation. So, our budgetary allocations come from the ministry; based on the envelopes assigned to us. Therefore, we cannot capture all the projects that we want to do. Despite that, what is appropriated is not what is released to us.

“These are challenges that affect everybody. Every year new innovations and new equipment are introduced and we have to keep to pace with these new developments. Though the college conducts HND programmes; its students were called for NYSC and they sit for JAMB like every tertiary institution, but we don’t have access to TETfund, which could have assisted us in addressing the infrastructure and equipment challenges.”