The president of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, Salvatore Siacchitano, has said the organisation is committed to partnering with Nigeria on the establishment of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU) in Abuja.
A statement by Special Assistant (Public Affairs) to Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, James Odaudu, on Saturday, said the ICAO president gave the assurance when Nigeria’s aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, led the country’s delegation to the 41st general assembly of the organisation to his office at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal Canada.
“ICAO would always be part of every effort geared towards addressing the manpower needs of member-nations in order to service and manage the ever-expanding Aviation industry, asserting that Nigeria’s decision to establish the university was a welcome development,” the statement quoted the ICAO president to have said.
Mr Siacchitano said the university would represent a new channel for the training of professional managers for the industry, especially within the African region, being the first of its kind in the continent.
According to the statement, he promised to visit the site for the university during the forthcoming ICAO Air Negotiation event (ICAN) to be hosted by Nigeria in December.
The visit, according to Mr Siacchitano, will give him a clearer picture of the immediate needs and the level of participation of the organisation.
The statement noted that Mr Siacchitano also used the visit to express ICAO’s appreciation to the government of Nigeria for its commitment to the ideals of the organisation at all times, saying that the acceptance to host the ICAN event was a clear demonstration of the said commitment.
In his remarks, Mr Sirika expressed Nigeria’s gratitude to the ICAO Council President for his reassurance of the Council’s earlier pledge to be involved in the university project, informing him that all the necessary regulatory requirements have been met and approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He assured that the forthcoming ICAN event holding in Nigeria will be a resounding success just like the earlier ICAO events hosted by the country.
Similarly, the government of Qatar has also expressed its readiness to participate in the establishment and running of the African Aviation and Aerospace University located in Abuja.
According to the statement, the Qatari Minister of Transport, Jassim Al-Sulaiti, disclosed this at a meeting with Mr Sirika at the sidelines of the ongoing 41st General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada.
The minister said the government of Qatar is excited to partner with Nigeria through providing some funding and training of its manpower in the university, noting that it will be a better option for his country.
On his part, Nigeria’s Aviation Minister appreciated the Qatari Minister for believing in the university project and said that the involvement of the country will further deepen the relationship between the two countries.
The two Ministers agreed to meet further to develop modalities for partnership in the project, given the interests being shown by some ICAO members and the organisation itself, the statement noted.
Aviation and Aerospace University
In 2017, the Federal Government announced that it would establish aviation university in the future.
Last month, Mr Sirika announcedthat the Federal Government has commenced plans to enroll students in its Aviation and Aerospace University (AAU) and that it will be located in Abuja.
He said the university would commence registration for the 2022/2023 academic session from September 26, to November 18, noting that the take-off followed a provisional approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
According to him, the main objective of the establishment of the aviation university is the need for the country to go into field research development in the areas of aviation and aerospace.
He, however, said the University would be a pan-African institution but that Nigeria would be the focus centre.
“The university has been given a location very close to the airport area by the government and it will be established there, ” the minister said.
Source: premiumtimes.ng