There are several issues here which seem to have been raised from my thread firstly I just want to state categorically that in no why am I making the assertion that race plays any part in one's ability as a pilot.
Coming from the north of England I have been brought up to call a spade a spade and regarding the Nigerian chap I knew was merely being candid in giving you my impressions. The person in question happened to be someone I knew personally and because of this I enquired as much as was possible about life in Nigeria. His family were very well connected with the Obasanjo government which resulted in him having lived a life that most working class English folk could only dream of - he didn't even know how to butter a piece of toast not because he co-ordination was poor just because he had never had to do this.
This leads one of my central points namely that in most of Africa society is very socially divided with the vast majority poor and uneducated with a select few enjoying a life of luxary. Given the prevalence of nepotism, my point was that it would be hypocritical to impose what on the face of it seems like a socially inclusive meritocratic plan of trying to ensure more African pilots get jobs, without tacking these underlying issues.
Given the fact that vast swathes of Nigeria are ungovernable I think it is rich that the authorites there start trying to meddle in the running of aviation companies. I think it is also hypocritical given that Lagos Airport/ATC appears to be as chaotic as many of the reports seem to suggest. I think is also objectionable that at the same time that the Nigerian Government is proposing to spend huge amounts of cash on a new presidential aircraft, they are telling operators that they can't employ who they deem to be the best candidates for the job.
In the UK and else where the general principle that applies when issuing work permits is that they are issued to ensure that the company get the best/right person for the job. i.e. driven by the needs of the industry.
Anyway I'm sick of this now, and wish I was doing more flying myself instead getting my daily pprune fix. I just want to reiterate that in no way am I judging Nigerian/African pilots negatively. We all fly in the same sky and who knows who you may end up sharing a flight deck with so preconceived prejudices are plainly wrong.
Regards
GT