While Nigeria celebrated its 60th anniversary, some youths in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, decided to mark the day by displaying a locally made aircraft which they had constructed.
The youth namely, Musa Aliyu, Abdulateef Anafi, Abbas Jamiu and Jimoh Ahmed are from Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state.
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On that day, the youths armed with Secondary School Certificate converged on the entrance of the Government House Banquet Hall, Ahmadu Bello Avenue, to showcase their work.
They said their quest for technological innovations spurred them into constructing the aircraft.
This caught the attention of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, who has been at the forefront of promoting local talent in science and technology, especially in aviation-related innovation.
The CAS immediately drafted a team and flew them from Ilorin to the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna, where they toured the various units in-charge of airplane maintenance.
The gifted youths toured the Air Force Research and Development Centre (AFRDC), Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), 401 Flying Training School (401 FTS) and the 431 Engineering Group (431 Egr Gp) all in NAF Base, Kaduna.
This was to further expose them to aircraft engineering, aircraft research and design (R&D), and aircraft operations.
At the AFRDC, the young innovators were received by the Principal Director of the Centre, AVM Austine Imafidor, and showed the processes involved in R&D as they relate to both manned and unmanned aircraft. They also had the opportunity to interact with Aerospace Engineers and other Specialists involved in some of the R&D efforts of the Service.
At AFIT, one of NAF’s prominent Research Fellows, Group Captain Osy Ubadike (PhD), briefed them on what they need to study to be good maintenance or design engineers for aircraft systems.
To give them a feel of what it means to fly an aircraft, the young men were given the opportunity to conduct a tutored taxi of the NAF Diamond DA-40 trainer aircraft.
Speaking after the tour, one of them, Musa Aliyu, said it took the team three years to assemble the aircraft.
He said they hope that with the opportunity from NAF, they will be able to continue their education.
Aliyu also believed that with the knowledge they will gain from NAF, they will be better equipped to make their airplane fly.
“We have been building the remote control aircraft, but we realised that there are a lot of people building remote control aircraft, so we took it upon ourselves to build a bigger aircraft; that is the high wing aircraft to show Nigerian’s what we can do,” he added.
Air Marshal Abubakar, represented by the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, NAF headquarters, AVM Remigius Ekeh, said NAF in the past identified gifted individuals and facilitated the harnessing of their talent for increased capacity and societal gains.
“As a stakeholder in the Nigerian aviation industry, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has always encouraged local talent in science and technology, especially in aviation-related innovation.”
The CAS noted that the NAF decided to invite these talented youths to encourage them and see how best their potentials can be harnessed.
“A NAF aircraft was detailed to airlift them from Ilorin to and from Kaduna. They were hosted at the NAF Base, where the NAF has its R&D Centre as well as some of its Engineering and Flying training institutions.
“The intention was to expose the gentlemen to aircraft engineering, aircraft R&D and aircraft operations. By this, they will have a good conception of how an aircraft is designed, manufactured and operated,” he said.
Abubakar said the NAF was willing, able and ready to assist them as may be required.
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