Immediate past NCAA DG, Capt. Muhtar Usman, is dead

The immediate past Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Shuaibu Usman is dead.

He died in the early hours of Wednesday December 2, 2020, according to sources close to him in an hospital in Zaria, Kaduna State.

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It was learnt that Usman, a former Commissioner of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), took ill on Saturday and was hospitalized before his passage.

Capt. Mukhtar was first appointed the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) in 2011 and in October, 2014 he was appointed DG of the NCAA where he served for five years before reappointment for second tenure of five years. He left office in October 2019.

Captain Muhtar was born on December 5, 1956, in the ancient city of Zaria, in Kaduna State.

He started his elementary education at Government Secondary Technical School, Soba and finished in 1972.

In 1973, he proceeded to Government Technical College where he passed out in 1975 after obtaining Federal Craft Training Certificate.

Usman got admission to Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria, in 1975 to pursue a course in Aero Electronics and Telecommunication where he obtained a Diploma certificate.

He also acquired various other professional education which are as follows – City and Guilds, Radio, TV, Electronics (1977),Commercial Pilot, Multi – Engine and Instrument ratings, Burnside – Ott Aviation Training Centre, Miami USA,(1977), B – 727 Flight Engineers’ rating, Miami, USA, (1980),Flying Instructors’ rating, Oxford Air Training School,UK,1982 and Airline Transport Pilot License, New York,USA,1992.

Others are Aircraft Accident Investigation, USA,(2006),Safety Oversight Inspectors’ course, Singapore,(2007),International Society of Air Safety Investigators’ Seminar, Singapore,(2007),Helicopter Accident Investigation, USC, USA,(2007),ICAO Organised Accident Investigation Seminar, Nairobi, Kenya,(2008)Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management Course (CNS/ATM),PAN AM Academy, Miami, USA,(2008) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Course, Cranfield University (2009).

The former Director General attended Airport Operations Course, Singapore (2009), ICAO Course on ECCAIRES database and exchange (2010) and Safety Management System Course, SCSI, USA, (2010).

During his career, he worked as a Flying Instructor at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria from 1981 – 1985.

He proceeded to the Nigeria Airways Ltd, Lagos between 1985 – 2004 where among other assignments he flew the B 737 Aircraft. As a Fleet Captain’s Assistant, he assisted in fleet technical and operational administration.