Akin Oni, managing director of Bristow helicopters Nigeria, has been advertising the company's efforts to get enough Nigerian pilots again. The company has more than 100 expatriate pilots and Nigerians leave to go to Caverton or oil companies, so how he is going to fulfil his talk from last time he spoke to the press and said all expatriates will be out by 2015 is difficult to see if just 20 Nigerians a year are going. It will also be interesting to see how the training at National College of Aviation Technology goes with all the problems in the north of our country. Last year when Bristow sent people up there for training, there was a curfew and all the Bristow people had to be evacuated by airplane and helicopter
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I wonder how much the training bond is now? Oni says the training costs $250,000 per student, but last I heard is that Bristow is asking their parents to sign a bond for N75,000,000 ($460,000).
Again, Bristow Helicopters, an operator in the oil and gas and aviation services, during the week, sponsored 20 Nigerians to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, for training in helicopter and subsequently more training at Bristow Academy in Florida, United States, for over $500 million.
Speaking at the pre-bond ceremony held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport office of the airline, Akin Oni, managing director of the company, said the gesture had become part of the company’s policy because “it prefers the services of Nigerians to expatriates due to the difference in cost.”
He disclosed that the 20 persons were keenly selected from 3,000 applicants, adding that they will eventually be divided into two groups to acquire initial commercial pilot training at Zaria and International College of Aviation in Ilorin.
Oni, who disclosed that the training for each of the cadet will cost $250,000, said Bristow was happy to be part of the growth in human capital in the aviation sector, saying “we have taken the extra step to increase the number of Nigerians we train. Today, we are sending 20 Nigerian students to get commercial pilot training in helicopter in Nigeria and the US. These students are extremely good with either first class or nearly first class in their fields. They will eventually go into training on the larger helicopter.
“The system that started 30 years ago has worked every well. It is not cheap, but this is our way of giving back to the society, it is like a requirement in giving back. We are limiting and replacing expatriates, we are now a global company, therefore, these students have become global materials, they can be required to fly anywhere, this gives confidence to those we recruit because they are not being tied, once you have the licence, you are a global person.”
The company has trained over 300 Nigerians running into millions of dollar, he said, adding that the aim was to continuously engage the services of Nigerians as against expatriates.
“We benefit a lot from the training because it is more competitive; I can replace an expatriate with a Nigerian, the difference is not in the pay but keeping an expatriate in Nigeria is much higher, you will pay both accommodation and look after their security yet they do the same thing as Nigerians. But until we have enough competent Nigerians, they may remain,” he said.
On why many Nigerian pilots are still in the labour market, Oni attributed inadequate flying hours, inability to pass competence tests, and low quality training as part of the reasons many indigenous pilots were unable to secure employment in the aviation sector.
The rising unemployment among young Nigerian pilots may be unchecked, because many young pilots do not have the mandatory 150 hours required of them to demonstrate command on any aircraft, he said, saying “it is either those Nigerians do not have the required flying hours or possess necessary qualifications to pass competent test.”
Meanwhile, parents of the cadets have signed bonds with the management of Bristow in order to prevent untoward event in the course of the training. The bond is to ensure that parents are responsible for their attitudes, especially when they are abroad.
“It becomes difficult to get visas when there is any misdemeanour, the parents give the confidence they require, they are able to put more pressure on them to be well behaved,” he said.
NEO,
I talked to a friend who was working for CHC and he confirms what you said about Everett. I heard the people got sacked because the small helicopters barely fly, but also the company pays very poorly. I met one guy who went for an interview and said the pay was poor and almost nothing extra like Bristow pays. Guess I'll stay in Nigeria until something comes up, maybe with NHV Helicopters in a safer country than my own. Koen Neven, the former MD of Aero Contractors is their BU Manager in Ghana, so they should be doing quite well there.