The Nigerian Air Force has produced its first ever female pilot, Blessing Liman, who will be commissioned at a ceremony tomorrow. Nigeria's air arm is in the process of revitalising its fleet and training dozens of new pilots.
Liman and 116 officer cadets of the Direct Short Service Commission Course 20/2011 will be commissioned at the 325 Ground Training Group, Kaduna tomorrow, according to Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Salihu.
He said that earlier this year, President Goodluck Jonathan had mandated the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to produce female military pilots and that the Chief of Air Staff had directed Training Commands to ensure that the task was achieved before the end of the year.
"I am pleased to inform you that this mandate has just been accomplished as Officer Cadet Blessing Liman will be commissioned on December 9, 2011, as the first military pilot in Nigeria after the successful completion of the training," he said.
"The training of the cadets...is significant in two folds. Firstly, it would boost the crucial aspect of manpower requirements of NAF and, secondly, the presidential mandate is intended to foster equal participatory opportunities in the national development to all categories of the Nigerian people which also is in line with President Jonathan's transformation agenda," he stated.
Training pilots is a very important task for the NAF, which has over the last decade increased funding and spares supplies for training. Much of the Air Force's training has previously taken place in the US, UK, Ukraine and Belarus, amongst other nations.