SPECIAL REPORT: By Abdul Lauya
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has approved the decentralization of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, into six campuses across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
This move, announced in early 2025, marks a significant policy shift aimed at expanding access to aviation training nationwide.
According to reports from Daily Trust, The Guardian, and The Will News, the new campuses will be located in Akure (Southwest), Osubi (South-South), Ebonyi (Southeast), Ilorin (North-Central), Yola (Northeast), with the original headquarters remaining in Zaria (Northwest).
The decision is backed by a ₦3.68 billion allocation in the 2025 federal budget, indicating the administration’s commitment to the project’s rollout.
The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) publicly praised the initiative, describing it as a bold national development strategy by President Tinubu.
Civil society organizations such as CSCHEI have also hailed the move, citing its potential to create equitable opportunities in aviation education across all regions.
However, reactions within Nigeria’s aviation industry have been mixed, with some experts raising concerns about the plan’s implications for training quality and institutional coherence.
Captain David Olubadewo, CEO of Starburst Aviation, warned that decentralizing NCAT could erode its status as an ICAO Regional Centre of Excellence.
He advocated instead for converting NCAT into a full-fledged aviation university and establishing new colleges independently in other regions.
Former aviation ministry official Captain Bala Jibrin echoed these concerns, emphasizing that NCAT’s training model thrives on integration and interdependence among its specialized schools.
He cautioned that physically splitting the institution may weaken the synergy essential for comprehensive aviation training.
As at the time of filing this report, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology has not issued any official statement confirming the structural changes on its website or public channels.
The absence of formal communication from NCAT has raised questions about the timeline, implementation strategy, and regulatory oversight of the new campuses.
Analysts say while the decentralization aims to democratize aviation education, it must be carefully executed to avoid compromising training standards and international accreditation.
The policy also carries broader implications for regional development, workforce mobility, and federal infrastructure planning.
Critics argue that without a central framework for standardization and quality control, the project risks turning ambitious decentralization into fragmentation.
Nonetheless, proponents maintain that with strategic investment, localized aviation training could address critical skill gaps and stimulate economic growth in underserved regions.
For now, stakeholders await clearer details from the Ministry of Aviation and NCAT on how the decentralized model will function operationally.
Until then, Tinubu’s aviation college decentralization remains both a historic milestone and a policy experiment under close national scrutiny.
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