Lagos - Experts in the aviation sector have tasked players in the ecosystem on prioritising human capital development to match technological advancements and challenges in the industry.
They gave the charge at the 2024 Q1 Business Breakfast Meeting of the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative (ART) on Thursday in Lagos.
The meeting had as its theme: “Manpower Strategy Training, Succession and Human Capital Development in the Nigerian Aviation Sector.”
Retired Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju, President of ART in his welcome address said that workers performed optimally in a scenario where they were properly trained and remunerated.
According to Onitiju, human resources is the greatest asset in any functional entity, community or nation state.
“An industry that invests massively in its human resource will definitely reap a bumper harvest of successes. Well remunerated and trained staff perform optimally.
“They are confident, courteous and professional in their approach to problems solving.
“In the past four years or thereabout, the global pandemic COVID-19 triggered massive paradigm shift in global activities.
“Many nations around the world recalibrated their human and material resources to tackle new challenges in the aviation environment leveraging on technology and innovation,” he said.
He noted that aviation was team work, as pilots, cabin crew members, ground staff and engineers worked together, with every segment important.
He said that ART recognised that a robust management plan through scalable skills acquisition, technical and operational, including soft skills, could encourage employees to adapt to new situations and deliver a winning customer experience.
“The aim of this session, therefore, is to re-awaken stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation industry on the need to prioritise human capital development to ensure career progression stability, succession and foster harmonious workforce relations.
“As we all know, a harmonious blend of technical and soft skills ensures safe and efficient aviation operations.
“The ART believes that human resources development in the Nigerian aviation sector should integrate modern technology.
“Cyber security, Artificial Intelligence, innovation and data analysis together with state of the art aeronautical and navigational aids.
“It is our view that the optimisation of processes, efficient use of resources, will promote seamless coordination between operators and ground handlers, caterers and cleaners, which boils down to training,” he said.
Speaking on the autonomy of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Onitiju said that ART had consistently advocated for it, with the Act establishing it and global best practices.
He called for the establishment of governing boards for aviation agencies’ effectiveness in the industry.
Among other topical issues in the aviation sector, he said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to initiate deliberate policies to review and suspend taxes, tariffs and charges (within a given time frame) would bring succour to aviation and allied businesses in Nigeria.
He added that such policies should address airline survival and growth with a view to lowering the recent astronomical increase in air fare on the domestic scene.
Recall that the Q1 ART Business Breakfast Meeting, had aviation stakeholders from all sections of the ecosystem in attendance.
Dr Harold Demuren, a former director-general of the NCAA and others were unveiled as patrons of ART.
Other speakers including Capt. Sam Caulcrick, former Rector of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), harped on the importance of training.
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