General News
How Untrained Pilot Killed 157 on Ethiopian Airways-Report
The captain of a doomed Ethiopian Airlines flight that killed 157 people when the plane crashed shortly after take-off in Ethiopia, did not practise on a new simulator for the Boeing 737 MAX 8, a colleague said.
Yared Getachew, 29, was due for refresher training at the end of March, his colleague told Reuters, two months after Ethiopian Airlines had received one of the first such simulators being distributed.
The March 10 disaster, following another MAX 8 crash in Indonesia in October, has set off one of the biggest inquiries in aviation history, focused on the safety of a new automated system and whether crews understood it properly.
In both cases, the pilots lost control soon after take-off and fought a losing battle to stop their jets plunging down.
The MAX, which came into service two years ago, has a new automated system called MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System). It is meant to prevent loss of lift which can cause an aerodynamic stall sending the plane downwards in an uncontrolled way.
“Boeing did not send manuals on MCAS,” the Ethiopian Airlines pilot told Reuters in a hotel lobby, declining to give his name as staff have been told not to speak in public.
“Actually we know more about the MCAS system from the media than from Boeing.”
Under unprecedented scrutiny and with its MAX fleet grounded worldwide, the world’s largest planemaker has said airlines were given guidance on how to respond to the activation of MCAS software. It is also promising a swift update.
Ethiopian Airlines said on Thursday its pilots had completed training recommended by Boeing and approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on differences between the previous 737 NG aircraft and the 737 MAX version.
They were also briefed on an emergency directive after the Indonesia crash, which was incorporated into manuals and procedures, it said in a tweet. The 737 MAX simulator was not designed to replicate the MCAS system problems, it added.
“We urge all concerned to refrain from making such uninformed, incorrect, irresponsible and misleading statements during the period of the accident investigation,” it said.
TRAINING QUESTIONS
Globally, most commercial airline pilots refresh training in simulators every six months. In the Ethiopian crash, it was not clear if Yared’s colleague – First Officer Ahmednur Mohammed, 25, who also died in the crash – had used the new simulator.
It was also not clear if Yared or Ahmednur would have been trained on that simulator or an older one for 737s that their airline also owned.
“I think that the differences between the 737 NG and the MAX were underplayed by Boeing,” said John Cox, an aviation safety consultant, former U.S. Airways pilot and former air safety chairman of the U.S. Airline Pilots Association.
“Consequently the simulator manufacturers were not pushing it either. The operators didn’t realize the magnitude of the differences,” he told Reuters in a communication over the Ethiopian pilot’s remarks.
The 737 MAX 8 was introduced into commercial service in 2017, but pilots of older 737s were only required to have computer-based training to switch, according to Boeing, airlines, unions and regulators.
By December, two months after the Lion Air crash that killed 189 people off Jakarta, the main simulator producer CAE Inc of Canada said it had delivered just four MAX simulators to airlines.
At that time, CAE had orders from airlines globally for 30 MAX simulators, which cost between $6 million and $15 million each depending on customization.
The world’s largest 737 operator, Southwest Airlines Co, will not have its first MAX simulator ready for use until October, its pilot union said on Wednesday.
“It is still very disturbing to us that Boeing did not disclose MCAS to the operators and pilots,” the association told members in a memo seen by Reuters.
Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Writing by Jamie Freed and Katharine Houreld; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne.
Femi Otedola, chairman, First HoldCo, has revealed that he will invest $100 million in Dangote refinery.
Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola
This is coming ahead of news that the Dangote refinery is planning to raise $2 billion through private placement, by selling its shares to the general public on a stock exchange for the first time.
Otedola, announced his plans on Wednesday after leading top executives of First HoldCo to visit Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, at the refinery in Lagos.
“From on a personal note, I’ve appealed to him (Aliko Dangote). I’ve been here with him 25 times, so my compensation is he’s going to allocate to me shares worth $100 million in the private placement,” the billionaire said.
“That’s one of the reasons why I sold my stake in Geregu plant to come and invest my proceeds in the IPO of Dangote refinery.”
During the meeting, Dangote said, the company is targeting a private placement of about $2 billion for the refinery
Dangote, on October 22, 2025, said the refinery could sell up to 10 percent stake in the listing, which Bloomberg valued to be about $5 billion.
The billionaire is planning to make the IPO a cross-border listing to enable the refinery draw investments from domestic and international investors.
In an earlier report, Dangote said the IPO is designed to democratise wealth creation and give Africans direct access to participate in the continent’s industrial transformation.
On May 12, Bloomberg reported that the billionaire is reportedly aiming for a valuation of up to $50 billion for Dangote refinery.
The Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, has entered into a collaborative partnership with Lasaco Assurance Plc to drive sustainable institutional growth and operational synergy.
According to a statement from the firm, the partnership is a strategic move to bridge the gap between public service efficiency and private sector innovation.
The partnership was solidified during a courtesy visit by top officials of the NIS Lagos Command to the corporate headquarters of Lasaco Assurance Plc in Lagos.
Led by the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration and Passport Control Officer, the NIS delegation engaged the insurance firm’s executive team in high-level discussions aimed at fostering knowledge exchange, strengthening risk management practices, and advancing national development goals.
A major highlight of the strategic engagement was the presentation of an award to the Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc, Ademoye Shobo.
The NIS delegation honoured the insurance boss for his exemplary leadership in driving product growth, building operational resilience, and introducing innovative risk management solutions to the industry.
While commending Lasaco’s leadership, the NIS delegation noted that the company had consistently distinguished itself through a customer-focused approach and commitment to professionalism.
They emphasised that public-private partnerships were vital to creating value-driven systems that would benefit the larger Nigerian economy.
Reacting to the honour and the partnership prospects, Shobo reiterated the insurer’s readiness to support the immigration office.
“We are deeply honoured by this visit and the recognition from the Nigeria Immigration Service. At Lasaco, we believe that the future of institutional growth lies in deliberate collaboration. We are fully committed to maintaining a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the Immigration Office to improve operational efficiency and deepen trust across both sectors,” Shobo said.
The management of Lasaco Assurance further expressed gratitude, noting that the engagement had set a new benchmark for public-private alignment.
The management stated, “This courtesy visit is not just a ceremony; it is a reinforcement of our shared commitment to institutional excellence. By combining public sector dedication with private sector innovation, we can create stronger avenues for service delivery that ultimately advance our national goals.”
The engagement underscored the growing importance of continuous dialogue between government agencies and private corporations to solve modern operational challenges.
Moving forward, both organisations expressed confidence that the partnership would unlock new opportunities for strategic growth.
Lasaco Assurance Plc reaffirmed its long-term vision to deliver value-driven insurance solutions, sustain stakeholder confidence, and champion impactful collaborations that foster national progress.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (EVC/CEO), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has has been confirmed as a Special Guest of Honour at this year’s Africa Beacon of ICT Lectures and Awards.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer, NCC
Africa Beacon of ICT Lectures and Awards, is widely regarded as the most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria.
The event according Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief of Nigeria Communications Week,“is digital transformation edition” will hold on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
Africa’s BoICT Lecture is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global Information and Communications Technologies map.
It will also to recognise and celebrate organisations and individuals in the ICT and banking industries that have impacted in digital transformation of the economy.
Nwogbo said that Dr. Maida, oversees the regulation, development, and strategic direction of the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
His administration at the NCC, actively drives initiatives to improve telecom consumer experience, enhance infrastructure, and foster collaborations (such as with the Central Bank of Nigeria) to protect citizens from financial fraud
He holds a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, UK.
Prior to joining the NCC, he served as the Executive Director, Technology and Operations at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
At NIBSS, Dr. Maida was responsible for spearheading the technical and operational standardization of all devices deployed in the financial system in Nigeria for interoperability.
He led a dynamic team that ensured that all terminals used in the e-payment industry and all devices deployed in Nigeria would accept all cards issued by banks and other licensed card schemes without discrimination.
Prior to his appointment at NIBSS, Maida was the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at the Nigerian-based FinTech Arca Payments Network and Senior Manager at Cisco Systems, United Kingdom.
As a seasoned technical professional with over 15 years of multi-functional and international experience in FinTech & Telecoms & Enterprise Technology, Dr. Maida between 2010 and 2014, worked as a Network Design Consultant at EE, part of BT Group, and one of the largest mobile communications companies in the UK.
He was also at some point (2006-2010) a System Engineer at Ubiquisys, a leading company in intelligent 3G and LTE small cells, which is now part of Cisco.
Dr. Maida will be joining will join top dignitaries who have graced the event in the past including: Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice-chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Chris Uwaje, chairman, Mobile Software Solutions Ltd; Uche Orji, former managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodun Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Dr. Isa Pantanmi, former DG, NITDA; Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, co-founder and COO, Digital Encode Limited; among others.
The highpoint of the BoICT Lecture will be the conferment of awards to companies and individuals for their significant contributions to the growth of technology in Nigeria and indeed Africa.
The event is a five-star event; easily Nigeria’s ICT Oscars.
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