The Society of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers of Nigeria has urged the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to undertake a comprehensive review of its aircraft maintenance engineer licensing framework, warning that any further weakening of professional standards could create room for unqualified practitioners and ultimately compromise aviation safety.
The appeal was made on Tuesday when the President of SLAMEN, Muhammad Haladu, led members of the society’s National Executive Council on a courtesy visit to the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing the NCAA management, Haladu expressed concern over what he described as the gradual erosion of the integrity of the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer licensing process, insisting that the profession must be protected from the activities of quacks through stricter qualification requirements.
According to him, only candidates with higher national diplomas or bachelor of engineering degrees in aircraft maintenance, aeronautics or aerospace engineering should be eligible to participate in the international civil aviation organisation licence preparatory course and the NCAA licensing examinations.
Haladu said, “Our concern is to preserve the integrity and credibility of the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer licence. We are calling for a comprehensive review of the current licensing policies to ensure that only suitably qualified candidates are admitted into the ICAO Licence Preparatory Course and the NCAA licensing examinations.
“We recommend that eligibility be restricted to holders of Higher National Diplomas or Bachelor of Engineering degrees in Aircraft Maintenance, Aeronautics or Aerospace Engineering. Maintaining these standards is critical to aviation safety and to producing competent Nigerian aircraft maintenance engineers who can compete anywhere in the world.”
The society also called on the NCAA to champion policies that would encourage the establishment of world-class maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities in Nigeria, arguing that the country’s heavy dependence on overseas maintenance continues to drain scarce foreign exchange while limiting job creation and technology transfer.
“Every year, billions of naira leave the country because aircraft are maintained abroad. Developing local MRO facilities will create employment, conserve foreign exchange, promote technology transfer and strengthen indigenous capacity,” Haladu said.
On aviation training, SLAMEN urged the regulator to intensify oversight of aviation training organisations through more frequent audits, standardised training curricula and closer monitoring of instructors to ensure compliance with international best practices.
The society also advocated the immediate suspension or cancellation of the basic aircraft technician course, arguing that its admission requirements fall short of the standards expected for aircraft maintenance engineering.
Haladu urged the NCAA to adopt the ICAO-compliant training programme of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, as the national benchmark for aircraft maintenance engineering education.
On local content development, the engineers called for stricter validation of foreign aircraft maintenance licences and tighter enforcement of expatriate quota regulations.
According to the society, foreign maintenance engineers should only be employed where genuine technical gaps exist, and such appointments should include structured knowledge-transfer programmes to build the capacity of Nigerian professionals.
SLAMEN also raised concerns over fatigue among aircraft maintenance personnel, urging the NCAA to review maintenance duty periods in line with internationally recognised human factors principles.
“Long working hours and excessive night shifts expose engineers to fatigue-related risks that can affect safety. We are ready to work with the NCAA to identify these challenges and develop practical solutions that will enhance operational safety,” Haladu said.
To strengthen collaboration with the regulator, the society proposed the establishment of a formal liaison framework that would facilitate regular consultations, information sharing and joint policy development between SLAMEN and the NCAA.
He stressed that the society’s recommendations were driven solely by the need to enhance aviation safety, protect professional standards, promote indigenous capacity and position Nigeria as a leading aviation hub in Africa.
Responding, the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, assured the delegation that the authority would carefully study the proposals.
He pledged that the NCAA would take prompt action on issues relating to Approved Maintenance Organisation and Aviation Training Organisation audits, personnel licensing reforms and measures aimed at protecting local content for Nigerian aircraft maintenance engineers.
“We appreciate the contributions and recommendations of SLAMEN. The authority will give them the attention they deserve and will continue to work with stakeholders to strengthen the aviation industry, particularly in the areas of licensing, training oversight, maintenance organisations and the development of indigenous technical capacity,” Najomo said.
In this article