Mr. Oyedele Philemon of the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State and Miss Olubode Testimony of Murtala Muhammed Airport Secondary School (MMASS), Ikeja, Lagos have emerged winners at the Grand Finale of the 13th National Travel Essay Competition (NTEC 2024) and Air Transport Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES). They emerged winners from a short list of top five (5) and top ten (10) finalists from a pool of entries in the Tertiary Institutions and Secondary Schools Category respectively. The topics for NTEC 2024 include: “The Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Developing a Workable Solution for Nigeria and Africa” for the tertiary institutions category and “The Role of Artificial Intelligence In Future Air Transportation” for the secondary schools category.
The gathering which attracted youths from secondary schools and tertiary institutions across the country was part of the Air Transport Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES) organized annually by Travel and Business News (TBN) – one of Nigeria’s leading travel trade magazines – held on Saturday May 25, 2024 at the Training hall of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The theme of the seminar was: “Unveiling Today’s Talents for Future Opportunities”.
Founder and National Coordinator of NTEC, Mr. Ewos Iroro said: “The aviation industry has been at the forefront of embracing technology in trying to address many of its challenges. Two areas where this is currently prevalent are in the application of Artificial Intelligence to various aspects of its operations and the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel as a way of reducing the industry’s carbon emissions. These two issues formed the idea behind the topics chosen for this year’s essay competition.” He went on to say that NTEC has grown over the years and continues to reach out to the grassroots to discover hidden talents in an effort to raise future aviation professionals.
Among the distinguished personalities who graced the event was the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku who was represented by Mrs. Christabel Eromosele, DGM Protocol and Passages, who said: “I am particularly elated because this program is not only aimed at building and developing our youth, but it is also targeted at bridging the gap in the manpower needs of the Aviation Industry. I am confident that from this class of 2024, we will in no distant future be witnessing and celebrating the emergence of world class aviation engineers, pilots, cabin crew, air traffic controllers, and other aviation professionals.”
According to Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, the theme of this year’s event, “Unveiling Today’s Talents for Future Opportunities” aptly reflects the current needs of the industry. She felicitated with the event’s organizers for their doggedness, consistency, and dedication; adding that “when the story of aviation in Nigeria is being written, your contributions will surely receive a worthy mention.”
The event witnessed excellent presentations and robust engagements from both students from participating schools and seasoned industry professionals who also doubled as members of the Panel of Independent Assessors – a group which comprised the Chairman of the event, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, Executive Director, Communications & Government Affairs, SIFAX Group; Mrs. Christabel Eromosele, AGM Protocol and Passages, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Mr. Alex Nwuba, President, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria; Mrs. Victoria Adegbe, MD, Aviatrix Hub; Mrs. Christie Oseghale, GM, Quality & Safety, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc; and Mr. Olu Ohunayo, General Secretary, Aviation Round Table.
After a vigorous selection process, winners emerged and Mr. Oyedele Philemon went home with a cash prize of N150,000 (tertiary institutions category), while Miss Olubode Testimony won a cash prize of N100,000 both sponsored by Airline Logistics and Management Limited (ALML). Similarly, Mr. Amoo Titoluwa of University of Lagos (Unilag) won N100,000 and Miss Ekuma Onosewo of Princeton College, Surulere equally took home N60,000 both in 2nd place in both categories also sponsored by OAS Helicopters. Third place went to Mr. Ubokobong Michael of the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsuka with N50, 000 and Mr. Patrick Chidiebere of Abiolu Comprehensive College, Igando, Lagos with N40, 000.
The keynote address themed “Unveiling Today’s Talents for Future Opportunities” which was delivered by Mr. Alex Nwuba tackled the issue of projected workforce shortages in the aviation industry, particularly with regards to pilots, maintenance technicians and Air Traffic Controllers – bringing to light the fact that a significant portion of the current aviation workforce is approaching the age of retirement.
Putting the situation into perspective, Mr. Nwuba revealed that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) estimates a need for over 350,000 new pilots by 2026. Similarly, there is a shortfall of between 12,000 and 18,000 aviation maintenance workers, with the FAA predicting that because more retirements are expected to happen, over 10,000 new Controllers will be required in the USA alone in the next decade. He concluded by declaring that future positions in the industry will require individuals with a mix of digital competence, knowledge, skills, the right attitude, continuous development, cognitive flexibility and a good dose of discipline.
Sponsors who contributed to the success of the event include GHI Assets, SAHCO, Sabre West Africa, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and OCP International.
