Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) and Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) both in Zaria have set up a four-man committee to explore possible areas of collaboration.
The information is in a statement by Mr Paul Mshelizah, the Assistant Director and NITT Head of Publicity and Public Relations in Zaria, Kaduna State on Saturday.
He stated that the committee was set up when the acting Director-General of NITT, Dr Abimbola Odumosu visited the NCAT Rector, Capt. Abdulsalami Mohammed in Zaria.
Mshelizah listed the committee members as Dr Danjuma Ismaila (NITT), Mr Elkana Ngbale (NITT), Mr Waheed Yusuf (NCAT) and Mr Y.A Baba (NCAT).
He noted that the committee was charged with the responsibility of finding out mutually beneficial areas of synergy between the two organisations.
He quoted the NITT acting director-general as stressing the need for the two institutions to collaborate, given their distinctive spheres of specialisation.
Odumosu also said that although the organisations had been collaborating, there was still room for improvement.
According to him, collaboration should be based on “sustainable and empirical research on all modes of Transport, Information Data Bank for enhanced risk analysis, and staff exchange to save cost.”
He suggested that NCAT could make use of the facilities at NITT’s study centre in Lagos during its outreach training programmes.
The NCAT rector thanked the NITT management for the visit and assured it of maximum cooperation.
Mohammed said such collaboration was critically important, while assuring that lack of such could be counterproductive.
He said “the lack of collaboration is the bane of private airlines in Nigeria, which often result in unhealthy competition.
“The idea of collaborating on research and development is both timely and welcome.”
He acknowledged the dearth of research and development at NCAT, but promised to address it, especially with the prospective collaboration with NITT.
On information Data Bank, the rector pledged to make aviation accident reports available to NITT.
Mohammed frowned at the tampering of the black box by certain first responders which unfortunately culminated in non-recovery of the box.
“However, I am optimistic that the enlightenment programme for the police initiated by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) on the location, recognition and/or identification of the black box will yield a positive result.
“NCAT will co-opt more ICAO compliant NITT staff as resource persons and I have directed Personal Assistant to assess NITT’s facilities in Lagos and report back to me,” he said.
