Caverton is a brand contributing to development of Nigeria’s aviation sector, NASENI boss, Halilu

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Suleiman Halilu has commended the management of foremost indigenous aviation and logistics company in Nigeria, Caverton Helicopters for placing Nigeria and Africa on the global map among the committee of reliable, dependable, and standard wise aviation industries in the world.

The NASENI boss made the statement during the Tour of Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc and Signing of MoU between NASENI and Caverton, for the establishment of a Drone Assembly Plant, a Drone Training School, and a Service Center for Helicopters during a tour of Caverton MRO Center in Ikeja, Lagos on Monday February 19, 2024.

Speaking further, he said it has been a privilege visiting, receiving a detailed tour of the Caverton premises and seeing first-hand the important work that it does here.

“I am very inspired by what I have seen today. It is a testament to the can-do Nigerian spirit. From modest beginnings you have built a successful business that continues to grow, and to adopt and deploy world-class technology, processes and talent to place Nigeria on the global aviation map.

“From your Aviation Training Centre (CATC), home to a Flight Simulator Training Device, to the Aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, to your Helicopter and Marine operations, everything we have seen here today has been state-of-the art. Caverton has truly built an aviation brand that is contributing to the prosperity and development of Nigeria, and that will stand the test of time.

“As an aviation enthusiast myself, believe me when I say that this has been a very insightful and enjoyable experience. At NASENI, we are always looking to engage with players at the cutting-edge of technology and innovation in Nigeria, especially across our focus areas of Defence and Aerospace; Engineering and Manufacturing; Renewable Energy and Sustainability; Health and Biotechnology; Agriculture and Food Sustainable; Transportation and Mobility; Education and Creative Industry; IT and Software; and Construction and Smart Cities and I can say that we found a worthy partner in Caverton,” he said.

Reiterating Nigerian government’s commitment to unwavering support for indigenous company, he said, “As Nigeria’s only purpose-built Federal agency with the mandate to intervene in all fields of Science and Engineering Infrastructure, we always strive to ensure that our engagements go beyond talk, into action that aligns with our core principles of Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialization. And that is why we have put pen to paper and signed this MOU for the establishment of a Drone Assembly Plant, a Drone Training School, and a Service Center for helicopters.

“This MoU is only the first step in what I am certain will be an enduring and rewarding partnership between NASENI and Caverton. I have no doubt that the synergy from our partnership will enable us achieve significant beneficial outcomes, in terms of jobs, skills and technology transfer, industrialization, and the development of Nigeria’s aviation industry. I look forward to what we will build and implement upon the framework of this important MOU. Today indeed marks the beginning of a transformational journey for NASENI, for Caverton, and for Nigeria.”

In his brief remarks, the
Chief Operating Officer of Caverton Offshore Support Group, Mr. Rotimi Makanjuola, said he is delighted to welcome the august visitor to his company’s domain.

According to him, “The whole idea is to reaffirm our partnership with NASENI. We have an MoU together and so the idea is to try and see which other way we can partner and collaborate. This is the second time they have been to our facility and they have seen changes, they have seen our capability especially in training, maintenance, and they have felt that now they are very serious about working with us and we are hoping that we will be able to work on a lot of areas, especially helicopters and aircrafts that are serviceable.

“We have MRO here, we have done third party work for the Air Force, the Navy and other foreign governments like in Republic of Benin. We are talking with Senegal, we are talking with Ivory Coast to have our support in training their helicopters pilots. I think it is something we can do in Nigeria as well.

“Like I said, there are over 30 serviceable planes and helicopters belonging to different government agencies. Some of these aircrafts can be resuscitated. Not all of them are scraps. And I believe that with NASENI’s support, we will be able to identify the ones that can be resuscitated and then put them back to use.”

On drones, the Caverton COO said, “Right now, the NCAA is putting in regulations to ensure that all drones are licensed, certified and, for us, as a training organisation, we believe that we need to take the bull by the horn. We need to set up a proper drone training facility.

“Obviously, we are talking about even the most basic drones. We need to have some sort of monitoring and experience to operate those drones. We have already started the process with the NCAA,” Rotimi Makanjuola said.

Also speaking, Dr. Dahiru Mohammed, Chairman of Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), said, “We want to see how we can partner with Caverton to see that we are able to domesticate more technology in the aviation sector here in Nigeria in terms of training, MRO and other aspects that we need as a country for us to stop using a lot of foreign exchange for the training of our people abroad. Caverton has been the frontline company in terms of aviation training.”

The centre provides training in a comfortable and controlled learning environment. The expansive centre offers an extensive range of training programmes, supported by practical applications, to provide a holistic training experience.