BRAIN DRAIN: Nigeria risks becoming training ground for foreign airlines – Abednego

By Dickson Omobola

Engineer Galadima Abednego is President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE. Abednego, in this interview, discusses how brain drain is affecting the aviation sector.

Abednego also shares insights on the association’s forthcoming 40th anniversary and activities lined up for its 16th delegate conference. Excerpts:

Many young pilots and engineers have complained about unemployment. Is NAAPE worried about this? Also, what are you doing about airlines refusing to allow their staff to join your union?

Typically, what we are saying is that young pilots and engineers who do not have employment opportunities worry us because even when they want to be our members, they can not be because they do not have jobs, and can not pay the subscription fee. It is a challenge for us because airlines are poaching from one another without training. If you are going to be a pilot or an engineer, you have to be trained yourself, unlike in the days of Nigerian Airways, when people were trained to become pilots and engineers. These days, that is not done. Part of what we are contending with is the issue of some airlines not allowing our members to organise freely. I tell you what, most of these airlines that resist unionisation are the ones owing pilots and engineers pensions. They are the ones who ensure that some of these packages to which their employees are entitled are not paid. We know they are running away from obeying the rules and regulations of the land. They do not want a union that would disagree with them or ensure they are up to date with payment of pensions or other remittances. In some instances, airlines that resist unionisation even deduct taxes without remitting. Dana, for instance, collapsed with unpaid pensions and salaries. Unionising should be viewed from the point of safety for employees, where workers are allowed to work and operate freely. Because they know that somebody has their back, they are not working under an atmosphere of intimidation or fear.

Just as it happens in other professions in Nigeria, is there also brain drain among pilots and engineers?

Absolutely. To the extent that I remember, there was a time when we looked for a 737 captain. We could not find a captain on a 737 who was employed in Nigeria. The statistics are clear. You find out that most of them have moved to Emirates, RwandAir, Asky Airlines, for instance. Many of those from the defunct Dana. Many of them from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, have moved to Asky, Emirates.

What are those factors fuelling the brain drain?

It is a market. It is what they call a free market economy. People would normally want to be sure that they have the right operating atmosphere. So, in a competitive market like this, a free market economy, when you have the potential of getting $10,000 and somebody is giving you $5,000, where would you go? You would definitely go to that which would pay more. That is the idea.

What then is the solution?

Brain drain is not something that can be stopped through regulation. What is needed to change the situation is to improve the market. Remember what Richard Branson said: ‘once you treat your workers well, they will treat the business well.’ This includes their pay and remuneration, among other things. So, the rate of attrition in most of these airlines is high because the conditions are still not optimal. They are just poaching, and nobody is training. That is where the problem is. You have to go and poach from airline A, airline B will come and poach from airline C, you know, like that.

How do we bridge this gap?

We have to invest in training. Part of the complaints given by the airlines is that some of these young pilots do not have the required number of hours. What can be done is to have a very robust general aviation policy, so that these young pilots can build their hours from the general aviation end before transitioning into commercial. That is the way to go, and it all boils down to training. They will use general aviation, small aircraft, get trained, build hours and then, from time to time, get jet experience, and then move on. And it is critical for us as a nation because we need to be mindful of succession planning.

Given the brain drain, where do you see the industry in the next eight to 10 years?

There is very promising news. I do not want to be over-optimistic, but the industry is growing, and steadily so. So, I see the economy expanding. I see the industry, the ecosystem, opening up for pilots and engineers. I do not want to sound pessimistic. In the next 10 years, the aviation industry will grow, and more employment opportunities will come, going by what is happening now. On Wednesday, I heard that Embraer is coming to have a maintenance, repair and overhaul, MRO, facility with Air Peace in Nigeria. Once we have such a needed investment in the industry, then unemployment will also be a thing of the past for our young people.

What are your thoughts about the recent cases of unruly passengers?

I think what we need to do is pay attention to sensitising the stakeholders, particularly the flying public. Some of these key regulations will have to be made public. It has to be some kind of mass education. That is on one hand. On the other hand, we have to look inward. And I am happy the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has directed that the airlines train their crew. Also, there has to be a way of balancing the relationship between airlines and passengers. The customer is used to knowing that he is the king. There should be very fine human relations skills on how to manage this long-term belief that the customer is the king. And then to buy into the willingness of the customer to wilfully obey the regulations and the rules. And what it takes is training the crew. This emotional intelligence, and some of this customer service delivery training, will have to be incorporated, particularly for the crew. I believe that is the way to go.

Can you share a lineup of activities for the forthcoming delegates’ conference?

NAAPE turns 40 this year. Part of what we are doing is beginning today (Thursday). We have a one-month-long programme, even though not daily. So, with this unveiling of our logo, starting from today, our publicity will hit the airwaves. Then we have plans to do a golf tournament in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, barring any last-minute change. Part of what we intend to do is a dinner lecture. The theme of the dinner lecture is: 40 Years of Working for Sustainable Aviation Safety. It will run concurrently with our 16th National Delegate Conference, which will end in an election on September 26. Part of what we want to do is to institute what we call a Young Aviation Foundation, where we can pull resources together in giving scholarships and grants and promoting the two professions: flying and aircraft maintenance. We expect the Minister of Aviation and the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Uno Eno, as special guests.

40 years is a long time, how has NAAPE been able to navigate challenges during this period?

There have been challenges. As you know, I am one of the presidents NAAPE has had over the years. Nevertheless, we have seen steady growth, and we have been able to improve the lot of our members. As an organisation, we have also evolved from just one branch with the defunct Nigeria Airways. Today, we have over 10 branches. Even though one of the challenges we still have is the issue of perception by the airlines. Most of them still have a misunderstanding of what a union stands for. Some of them are still resisting, not allowing their members to unionise.

If some airlines do not want their staff to join your organisation, then what is NAAPE’s membership strength?

Our membership strength keeps changing. What I mean is that you find a member who leaves one airline that accepts unionism to another that doesn’t. But with what we have in the country, it will be in the region of over 600. NAAPE is a membership-based organisation. If you are not paying, we do not regard you as a member, even though we protect you.

What efforts are you making to bring in those yet to join?

We have reported to the relevant authorities. We have tabled some of these concerns with the Ministry of Labour. We have tabled these concerns to the Ministry of Aviation. And then we are trying to find a way to engage the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON. The Minister has tried to facilitate that.

As the president, what will you regard as your major achievement?

One of my major achievements is that I have been able to maintain the union’s unity. As a union, the greatest asset we have is unity. That we are reunited after coming out of the election is a good thing. We are all focused on ensuring that members’ rights are protected. The team we have is very dear to me. And that is what I see as an achievement. Looking back, we are not leaving a fractured or fractionalised association. So it is number one to me. In terms of infrastructure, under my leadership, we have been able to acquire a national secretariat in our name, in a very choice location at Ikeja. This was possible due to smart financial management.

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