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Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) to receive B737 simulator, fire fighting equipment certificates
The Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria is to get its newly acquired B737 simulator and fire fighting equipment certified in the first quarter of this year and put to commercial use to generate revenue for the college. This was disclosed by the Rector of the College, Captain Alkali Modibbo while addressing aviation correspondents who were on their annual civil aviation training at the college in Zaria. Captain Modibbo said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or EASA certification is required before Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will also issue its certificate for the B737 simulator to be put to use. He also revealed that the certification is taking longer than necessary. The college also recently took delivery of a fire simulator equipment, which it has not put to use.
About three years after its purchase and installation, the state-of-the-art fire fighting simulator equipment is still idling away at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna State. Though it has since been mounted at the fire training section of the institution, its continued lack of accessories, water hydrant and standard access road have kept the revenue earning N5,4 billion automated simulator redundant. The Federal Government in April 2019 acquired the fire fighting simulator made by Messrs Alpine Metal Technology Company, United Kingdom, at the cost of £11,5 million. The simulator, the first of such in Africa, is a modern multi-scenario firefighting equipment capable of delivering training on 28 different types of fire and non-fire operational incidents involving aircraft, in the aerodrome, and its vicinity. The full aircraft-size equipment was acquired to enhance safety, cut capital flights of training firemen overseas and earn revenue from rendering services to foreigners. But a visit to the institution recently showed it still inactive, though the equipment, its control room and supply channels are ready. Assistant Chief Instructor of the fire department, Sarki Jacob, said the Federal Government made the right investment with a capacity to earn several millions of naira yearly from training and retraining firefighters. Speaking about the fire fighting equipment, Captain Modibbo said, “The equipment is an automated fire fighting simulator, which gives room for simulating incident and accident activities that require fire. The fire fighting simulator is undergoing process of certification.” “We are in stage two of the process and NCAA is responsible for issuing certification for the equipment and it cannot give you the certificate until you are through with all the processes, which we are working hard on to get. As soon as the second phase is completed, the machine would be put to use,” he reassured. “We are working on the B737 equipment certification. It is taking us longer than we intended but we are trying all our best to ensure that by March this year or April, we will have the B737 simulator equipment certification and put it to use. You need to have the international accreditation certificate before NCAA will now give you its own certification. For example, you must have the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or EASA certification and NCAA based on one of those certifications, will now issue you its own certificate”. He said that the college is also working on the certification of the automatic rescue fire fighting training provider certificate from the NCAA. Jacob noted that the accoutrements are expected in the second phase of the project and had started arriving to complement the dynamic facility. NCAT Rector, Capt. Alkali Moddibo, added that the delay in usage was not unconnected with the mandatory requirement for its certification and supply of accessories. Moddibo explained that the simulator was undergoing the stage-two of its certification by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). “NCAA cannot give you the certificate until you are through with all the processes, which we are working hard on. As soon as the second phase is completed, the machine would be put to use. “The firefighting tender (E1) that we have is one of the best equipment you can find anywhere. But it is so big that the fence, the access road and the culvert are challenges for that machine to be used at that place (firefighting simulator section). NCAT is making another provision for a smaller fire tender to put the fire simulator to use. “Also, electricity at that part of the college is being worked on with funds approved in phases. In essence, we are going to take electricity from the completed Boeing 737 aircraft building and deliver the same to the firefighting simulator side. I think we are almost done with that,” Moddibo said. Source: Vanguard News Nigeria, The Guardian Nigeria |
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