The federal government is planning to establish annexes of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in five geopolitical zones of the country.
Towards this end, the government has made a budgetary provision of N3,680,000,000 towards the actualisation of the project.
NCAT is the foremost aviation training institution in Nigeria established in 1964 and it is a Regional Training Centre (RTC) designated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Since its establishment, the college only has an annex in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital and the hub of aviation in Nigeria.
Sources said the plan to decentralise the operation of NCAT has been in the offing over the years.
But the federal government in the 2025 budget presented by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday last week, is planning to spend N3.6bn to establish NCAT annexes in five geopolitical zones including Akure (South-West), Osubi (South-South), Ebonyi (South-East), Ilorin (North Central) and Yola (North East).
It was classified as a new project in the budget of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development contained in the appropriation document.
Similarly, the federal government plans to spend N1.6bn on consultancy services/transaction advisers for some projects in the ministry.
These include N800m for consultancy/transaction advisers for the concession of five airport terminals as well as another N800m for “Consultancy/transaction advisers for PPP projects; maintenance, repair and overhaul, aerotropolis, agro-allied/cargo terminals, FAAN headquarters and others.”
Daily Trust reports that the concession of airport terminals was a major programme of the immediate past administration when Senator Hadi Sirika held sway as the Minister of Aviation.
The former minister had a running battle with the aviation unions and some stakeholders in the industry over the airport concession programmes.
Despite the opposition, the immediate past administration announced at its twilight that it has successfully concessioned the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The then Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, James Odaudu, stated that the concessioning was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He disclosed that the Corporacion American Airport Consortium emerged as the preferred bidder, which comprises the Corporation American Airports, Mota Engil Africa, and Mota Engil Nigeria.
Furthermore, the Corporacion American Airport Consortium will make upfront payments of $7 million for NAIA and $1.5 million for MAKIA.
But the new minister, Festus Keyamo on assumption of office suspended the projects but said the plan to concession the airports is still alive.