- Photo Caption: From left :Capt. Horace Millar-Jaja, Mathew Pawjok, Director of Operations, NAMA, Joy Ogbebo, the Convener, Capt. Ladi Bajeh, Sylvia Pero, DGM, NCAA, Shola Ipinmoroti, Vp, Commercial, Wakanow, Dozie Uzoezie, CEO Afritraveller and founder, Africa Aviation Group and Dr. John Akwaji, CEO, Javi Group
The Director General, Civil Aviation(DGCA),Capt. Musa Nuhu has stated that addressing the challenges faced by professionals in the industry requires collective efforts by the government and stakeholders.
He made that call at the recently concluded 7th Explore Aviation Careers Conference 2023 held at NCAA Annex , international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport(MMA),Lagos, with the theme, “The Challenges of Exploring Careers in Aviation and the Travel Industry,”
The DGCA, who was represented by the Deputy General Manager, Consumer Protection, Sylvia Pero, acknowledged there are challenges and cited the ICAO”s recently held 5-day event geared towards addressing the challenges posed by the anticipated shortage of aviation professionals and proposed actions to be taken to solve the challenges.
Speaking further, the DGCA, said, “Each career has its challenges. However, addressing these challenges enumerated requires collective efforts from the government and other stakeholders.”
He further noted that despite the challenges, the future aviation job prospect is positive and that the sector is going to grow significantly with the government taking steps to improve infrastructure.
He emphasised that the industry provides enormous opportunities and advised that to enhance career prospects in the industry, it is important for them to develop the right skills, certifications and work experience and also stay updated about the industry by attending events such as this to take advantage of the career opportunities.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA), Engr. Tahir Odunowo commended the convener for this laudable initiative.
Odunowo, who was represented by the Director of Operations, Mathew Pawjok, said he never had the opportunity to access such a platform during his days.
He also used the opportunity to extensively highlight the functions and the many career opportunities in the NAMA and the processes to get certified.
On his part, the Chief Operating Officer of Wakanow, Adenike Macaulay, who was also represented by the Vice President, Commercial, Shola Ipinmoroti acknowledged that because the aviation industry is such a large one, there will always be challenges.
She emphasised that the industry is a highly regulated one and requires certifications.
She stated that comparing the statistics of the population against the number of travelers, one of the challenges she highlighted was the economic challenges, which impacts on job opportunities.
She emphasised that the necessity to be passionate and innovative and commended the organisers of the events and encouraged the young ones to embrace the privilege of this career initiative platform.
Earlier, the Convener of the event, Joy Ogbebo in her opening remarks acknowledged the challenges the aspiring young professionals are facing and emphasised the need to identify and address them to promote the growth of the industry as this aligns with the Minister of Aviation and aerospace development’s agenda for human capacity development.
The panel session was well moderated by the CEO, Afritraveller , and Founder, Africa Aviation Group, Dozie Uzoezie, had professionals in the industry such as Capt. Oluwole Fajobi, Capt. Ladi Bajeh, Shadrack Swante and Akintayo Gabriel, an aspiring pilot.
They provided a platform for meaningful dialogue and insight toward identifying the challenges and proffering realistic solutions fostering growth in aviation careers.
Participants at the event said it was quite an enlightening session with prominent stakeholders and dignitaries in the aviation and travel industry.
The insightful discussions and diverse perspectives shared during the conference shed light on the multifaceted challenges within the aviation and travel industry.
According to them the event was a resounding success, leaving an indelible impact on all attendees.
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