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Group Chairman of OAS Helicopters, Captain Evarest Nnaji, has called for increased access to education, mentorship and professional training to encourage more girls to pursue careers in aviation.
Nnaji made the call in a message to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, themed, ‘Empowering Every Girl Child Today for a Brighter Tomorrow,’ stressing the need to remove barriers limiting girls’ participation in the aviation industry.
He said the challenge was not a lack of ability among girls but limited access to opportunities that could help them translate their ambitions into professional careers.
“The sky was never reserved for anyone,” he said, urging stakeholders to create an environment where girls could see aviation as an accessible and rewarding career path.
According to him, aviation careers, including piloting, aircraft engineering and air traffic control, have traditionally been perceived as male-dominated professions, a perception that could discourage girls from exploring opportunities in the sector.
He noted that limited exposure to women working in these fields also made it difficult for young girls to identify with potential career paths and understand the qualifications and training required to succeed.
Nnaji said increasing the visibility of women in aviation and connecting girls with experienced professionals would help build their confidence and broaden their understanding of the industry.
“At OAS Helicopters, we see what aviation demands every day: discipline, calm under pressure, technical mastery and teamwork. None of these qualities is gender specific,” he said.
He added that the skills required to succeed in aviation were equally valuable in leadership, business and community development, noting that expanding opportunities for girls would deliver benefits beyond the industry.
He called for practical interventions to begin early in girls’ education, particularly through improved access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
He urged parents, schools, government agencies and industry stakeholders to ensure that girls remain in school and receive the academic foundation necessary to pursue technical and professional careers.
Nnaji also advocated mentorship programmes that would connect girls with female pilots, aircraft engineers, air traffic controllers and other aviation professionals who could provide guidance on career choices, qualifications and industry expectations.
He identified organised visits to aircraft hangars, airports and aviation terminals as another way to expose girls to the industry and help them understand the range of opportunities available.
According to him, scholarships and structured training pathways were also essential to supporting girls as they progressed from the classroom into professional aviation roles.
He stressed that empowerment should go beyond public declarations to include sustained investment in education, practical training and career development.
He maintained that giving girls access to the right resources and professional guidance would enable them to make informed career decisions based on their interests and abilities rather than gender stereotypes.
“A brighter tomorrow is not delivered by chance. It is airlifted there, one deliberate choice at a time,” he said.
He reaffirmed the importance of creating an inclusive environment in which girls could explore aviation careers and compete for opportunities on the strength of their skills and qualifications.
He said sustained collaboration among industry operators, educators, policymakers and families would be crucial to ensuring that more girls could pursue careers in aviation and contribute to the sector’s future development.
