By ETIM ETIM
Last Tuesday, a brand new Airbus A220 – 300 series flew direct from Canada where it was built direct to Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, as an addition to Ibom Air’s fleet. It was received by Gov. Umo Eno, the airline’s sole shareholder, in an event at the airport. There were singing, dancing and prayers. This would be the third time such an event has been held at the event in the last three years, indicating the number of aircraft the Eno administration has acquired for the state-owned airline. Midway into his speech on Tuesday, the governor introduced the pilot who flew the plane from Canada, stressing the point that the captain is a woman. A dark skinned diminutive woman emerged from the audience and walked to dais where the governor; Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Governor Akon Eyakenyi, were seated. She shook hands with the dignitaries who congratulated her on her her accomplishments. That was Captain Ruth Adebanwo, Ibom Air’s chief pilot, one of the 127 active female pilots out of the 554 licensed pilots in Nigeria.
She leads the flight crew at Ibom Air, managing high standards in safety and professionalism. With an 18-year experience in aviation, she’s building extensive hands-on flight and safety expertise, mentoring young girls and motivating others to break the glass ceiling. Captain Adebanwo holds an NCAA Air Transport Pilot License and Certifications. With a Post-Graduate Diploma in Air Safety Management from the City University of London, she trained for her Commercial Pilot License at 43 Air School in South Africa, one of the best aviation schools in that country. In 2022, she was named one of the Top 100 Women in Travel and Tourism in Africa by the Akwaaba African Travel Market. The award recognizes women who are leading and excelling in the travel and tourism sector across Africa. Captain Adebanwo takes interest in encouraging young women and girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and aviation, challenging traditional gender stereotypes.
Capt. Adebanwo’s accomplishments are quite inspiring to young girls from Akwa Ibom State, especially those who were at the airport on Tuesday, prompting the governor to urge them to consider a career in aviation and other fields. Educating and training the girl child drives economic growth, reduces early pregnancies and school dropout, moderates population growth and breaks cycles of poverty, among several other benefits. Economist claim that each extra year of schooling can increase a woman’s future earnings by up to 20%, helping lift families out of poverty. But more importantly, training women in technical and vocational skills builds diverse, skilled workforce that boosts national productivity. Gov. Eno may wish to consider allocating at least 35% of the slots in its pilot training program to young girls. This scheme provides full-scholarship pilot and aircraft engineer training at foreign and Nigerian training institutions to build local manpower for Ibom Air.
I conclude with a big congratulations to Ibom Air
ETIM ETIM is a veteran journalist and PR professional with over 35 years of cognate experience.
He is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Policy & Politics (www.policyandpolitics.com.ng), an online newspaper dedicated to insightful analysis of Nigerian news and world’s report. He is also a columnist with BusinessDay and The Cable and is a regular contributor to other newspapers.
Contact: +234802 3159969 (WhatsApp Only)
