By Chinelo Obogo
The race for the next Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) has reached fever pitch, with 35 candidates vying for the prestigious position.
As anticipation builds within the aviation community, stakeholders keenly await the selection of the new helmsman who will steer the institution toward greater excellence in aviation training and development.
Daily Sun reliably learned that the 35 candidates include Joseph Imalighwe, an expert in air traffic control (ATC) instruction and instructional system design, who was appointed acting Rector on December 13, 2023, alongside other heads of agencies under the Ministry of Aviation.
The stakes have been raised even higher due to the 2022 NCAT Act, signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The new act mandates that the appointment of the Rector must follow a recommendation from the Joint Council, Academic Board, and Selection Board, a significant shift from the previous procedure. Under the old NCAT Act, the appointment was solely at the President’s discretion without a definite provision that a vacancy for the provision be advertised in national newspapers.
The revised 2022 Act has introduced a more transparent and competitive selection process for the appointment of a Rector at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).
It mandates that the Council must publicly advertise the vacancy in at least three national newspapers, ensuring a wider pool of qualified candidates.
The reform has significantly intensified the race, with Daily Sun reliably gathering that of the 35 candidates from diverse backgrounds that have applied for the prestigious position, 14 from within the institution and 21 from outside.
This marks a sharp departure from previous practices, where the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development could simply nominate a candidate and forward the name to the President for approval. Notably, the immediate past Rector, Alkali Modibo, was appointed before the enactment of the new law and, therefore, did not undergo this rigorous selection process.
The Act also reshapes the appointment process for Deputy Rectors.
Previously, the Rector had the sole authority to appoint them, with no clearly defined tenure.
However, under the new framework, Deputy Rectors are now appointed by the Council, based on recommendations from the Joint Council, Academic Board, and Selection Board. Their tenure is now fixed at three years, with the possibility of renewal, ensuring greater structure and accountability in the institution’s leadership.
The criteria for appointing the Rector have also become more stringent. While the old Act made provisions for a Rector to serve a renewable term of four years, the new Act stipulates a single term of five years with no provision for renewal. Additionally, the new Act requires candidates to possess either a minimum of 10 years of experience as a pilot with at least five years as a chief flying instructor or training captain, or be a chief instructor or lecturer with an aviation license and a minimum of a master’s degree from a recognized university.
Part II, subsection 13.-(1)(2)(a) of the 2022 Act clearly outlines the qualifications and the process for filling the Rector’s position: “There shall be a Rector for the College who shall be appointed by the President in accordance with the provisions of this section. Where a vacancy occurs in the post of the Rector, the Council shall advertise the vacancy, not less than six months to the expiration of the term of the sitting Rector, in a reputable journal and two widely read newspapers in Nigeria, specifying in addition to any other qualification, that the person shall, as a minimum qualification, either (i) be a pilot of the standing of a captain with a total of 10 years of cognate experience as a captain with at least five years’ experience as a chief flying instructor or training captain, or (ii) be a chief instructor or lecturer with a professional aviation license or equivalent rank in a tertiary institution and possess a minimum of a master’s degree from a recognized university with at least five years’ experience as chief instructor or equivalent rank in a tertiary institution.”
With the deadline for application for the position over, the Rector must then nominate members of the search team according to the law, which Daily Sun learned has been done. The next step is the inauguration of the search team, comprising four members, who will screen the candidates and their credentials. Once the search team completes its task, a selection committee would be set up and this committee as established under section 10 (1) of the Act, will consider the candidates who meet the criteria, interview them, and recommend three candidates to the President through the Minister for consideration. Although it is the responsibility of the Chairman of the Council to inaugurate the committee, the Council has not yet been inaugurated, so the Minister is responsible for this task.