General News
NCAT to Commence Helicopter Training, to Award Degree Course
Captain Mrs Chinyere Kalu, rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, said Helicopter training and Degree programmes will commence at the college this year.
Speaking on the transformation of the college in the past three years, Capt Kalu said training of helicopter pilots will commence as soon as the college takes delivery of its acquired Bell 206 helicopters presently in Lagos.
According to her, it became necessary to introduce helicopter training as 80 percent of helicopter pilots were foreigners being used for off shore oil rigs in the Niger Delta.
“It’s a very sensitive area and key in our economy and should be well secured. Having such operations done by foreigners, you will agree with me that its not in the best interest of our nation”. “If Nigerians are in the forefront in taking over fix wings, i dont see the reason why rotary wings should be left in the hands of foreigners especially the sensitive nature of it. We are very hopeful that it will commence this year, we are at the final stage and we will need a smaller helicopter to start”
Kalu also announced that the college was embarking on refleeting of all its training aircraft in the college as the current ones were old and becoming increasingly difficult to maintain by the college.
“We have 23 aircraft and we need more, we are in the process of re-fleeting because the single engine aircraft we have been flying are being depleted by the day due to age and incidences”
The NCAT boss explained that the college third hangar will be put into use soon after repairs adding that it will take care of the aircraft instead of ferrying them abroad.
She said it was extremely expensive and uneconomical to have these aircraft fixed abroad and returned into the country but added that with such hangar, repairs will be carried out.
With over 500 students in the college, Capt Kalu explained that the college will commence its HND programmes which will increase the students number to about a thousand including those on short courses, three, six and twelve months.
The rector explained that the college was pursuing and processing accreditation for its degree course with the Aviation Accreditation Board International in the USA.
According to Capt Kalu, the college intends to offer courses on aerospace engineering. “We want to offer Degree course along with flying, despatchers course, aviation management and so on. So there are a lot of courses we would want to offer beyond what we are offering now and also in line with aviation training”.
She said more instructors will be employed as soon as the courses commenced.
On the perceived shortage of pilots and engineers in the country, the NCAT boss remarked that the country has produced a lot of jobless pilots and engineers in the country but accused airline operators for going for expatriates at the detriment of trained Nigerian pilots and engineers.
According to her, Nigerian pilots understand the terrain and weather of the country and better trained than their foreign counterparts and appealed to Nigerian operators to be patriotic by employing indigenous pilots.
“My disappointment and discouragement is the fact that our Nigerian businessmen and operators are not patronising home grown pilots and engineers. They will rather employ a fresh horn with 200 hours from the USA or anywhere instead of employing our own home grown well trained pilots who may even have up to 250 or 300 hours”.
Capt Kalu also disclosed that the installation of the colleges runway lights will be completed in two weeks time adding that it will be of immense benefit for both the students for night training and for visitors to land at night.
She said the college was striving hard to meet international standard with the introduction of new innovations in the college.
According to her, IATA in 2012, declared NCAT as the best training institution in Africa while ECOWAS in 2013 declared the college as centre of excellence adding that NCAT will soon be made one stop shop for aviation training.
She expressed disappointment that state governments failed to take advantage of the college to train their indigenes and appealed to various state governments to sponsor their indigenes to be trained in the college and commended the Kano state government for approving the training of 45 cabin crew students at the college.
Capt Kalu announced that the Lagos campus of the college will take off as soon as issues on the establishment were resolved. “By now we ought to have had a campus in Lagos but at the last minute we had a little hitch which made us to slow down but we are pursuing it”
The Rector commended the aviation minister Stella Oduah foresight in the transformation of the industry.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a forward-looking strategy that places satellite-enabled mobile connectivity at the heart of the country’s drive to bridge its long-standing coverage gaps.
The draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector for 2025 to 2030 lays out how satellite technologies could help deliver reliable voice and data services to millions of Nigerians who live beyond the reach of conventional mobile networks.
The direction is outlined in the Commission’s draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector covering the period.
The proposed approach highlights non-terrestrial networks as a complement to existing mobile infrastructure, especially in areas where terrain, insecurity, or high costs limit the deployment of base stations.
The NCC said D2D satellite technology, which allows standard mobile phones to connect directly to satellites, is gaining traction globally as a means of delivering voice and data services without reliance on ground towers.
According to the regulator, the technology could help close persistent coverage gaps in rural, riverine, and border communities that remain outside the reach of conventional networks.
It also noted that satellite-backed connectivity could improve network reliability by providing alternative links during fibre cuts, power failures, or other disruptions affecting terrestrial systems.
The Commission added that wider adoption of D2D services could support emergency communications, public safety operations, Internet of Things applications, and services such as smart agriculture in underserved regions.
It also pointed to potential investment opportunities through partnerships between mobile network operators and satellite companies, including more efficient use of shared spectrum resources.
Beyond D2D services, the roadmap places emphasis on Low-Earth Orbit satellites to expand broadband access to remote parts of the country.
It also proposes better utilisation of Geostationary Orbit satellites and the exploration of high-altitude platforms, such as stratospheric balloons, to support mobile backhaul and rural connectivity.
The policy signals come shortly after Airtel Africa announced an agreement with SpaceX to introduce Starlink-powered direct-to-cell services in Nigeria.
The NCC’s roadmap is expected to shape future spectrum allocation, licensing decisions, and technology adoption across the telecommunications sector.
General News
House of Reps Releases Certified Copies of Tax Reform Acts amid Gazette Discrepancy Claims
House of Representatives has released certified true copies of the four tax reform Acts signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, addressing public concerns over alleged discrepancies between legislative versions and circulated gazetted documents.
Tax Reform Acts
House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, disclosed this in a statement, noting that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas directed the immediate publication of the Acts—including endorsement and presidential assent pages—for public verification, in collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The move followed allegations raised by Rep. Abdulsamad Dasuki on the House floor, highlighting inconsistencies between Bills passed by the National Assembly and executive gazetted versions, which he warned could erode legislative integrity and public trust.
Abbas constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee chaired by Rep. Aliyu Betara, with members including Idris Wase, Sada Soli, Adedeji Faleke, Igariwey Iduma, Fred Agbedi and Babajimi Benson, to investigate the alleged alterations, unauthorised circulation and preventive measures.
The committee’s mandate includes probing circumstances around the discrepancies, while Abbas ordered internal verification and public release of certified copies to dispel doubts and safeguard legislative records. Legal experts, tax professionals and civil society had demanded clarification and implementation suspension amid heated debates triggered by Dasuki’s intervention.
The released laws comprise the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; National Revenue Service Establishment Act, 2025; and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act, 2025, described as foundational to modernising Nigeria’s tax system.
These reforms aim to enhance compliance, curb inefficiencies, eliminate overlaps and bolster fiscal coordination across federal, state and local tiers, following extensive stakeholder consultations, committee reviews and plenary debates under Abbas’s leadership.
Rotimi reassured Nigerians: “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway.”
He emphasised that only National Assembly-certified versions hold authority, urging the public, institutions and stakeholders to disregard all other circulating documents as unofficial.
MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, has retained the distribution rights to 12 Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels following the signing of a new multi-year, multi-territory agreement between CANAL+ Group and Warner Bros. Discovery, marking a significant expansion of their long-standing partnership.
MultiChoice
The new deal, which spans several regions across Africa and Europe, covers the distribution of HBO Max as well as the renewal of selected Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels. It represents a major milestone in the companies’ international collaboration and strengthens content offerings across MultiChoice Group territories.
MultiChoice disclosed that this agreement builds on earlier partnerships concluded in Europe. “It builds on the landmark agreements concluded in France in 2024,including the renewal of the exclusive pay-TV window for Warner Bros. Pictures films just six months after their theatrical release in France and the integration of HBO Max within select CANAL+ group offers – as well as in Poland in 2025, with the renewal of the distribution agreement for 22 thematic channels (including TVN 24 and Eurosport) and 4 free-to-air channels (including TVN).”
Under the renewed arrangement, MultiChoice Group will continue to distribute 12 Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels across its territories, with some channels offered on an exclusive basis. CNN International and Cartoon Network will remain exclusive to South Africa while being distributed non-exclusively in other markets. Cartoon Network Porto will be exclusive in Angola and Mozambique and non-exclusive elsewhere. Other channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV, Food Network, TNT Africa, Travel, ID and Cartoonito will be offered on a non-exclusive basis.
According to the partners, the deal reinforces CANAL+ Group’s channel portfolio on the continent. “This agreement enables CANAL+ Group to strengthen its entertainment, kids, news, and documentary channel offerings in African markets.”
The agreement is also expected to improve access for CANAL+ Group subscribers to Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium content through HBO Max and selected channels, including globally recognised series and films, further extending the studio’s international reach while consolidating MultiChoice’s content offering in key markets.
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