Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, April 17, 2018
B5 Business Interview
Aging workforce threatens our professional carrier We can take a cue from our phones which are upgraded every time. Basically, we need to upgrade the knowledge of our personnel in the area of training. Two. There are some basic and mandatory training, like the Basic Aeronautical Information Management Officers (BAIMO) course is going on and more are still coming. Then within the people that have been trained like our Advanced Air Management Officers (AAMO) course. The international training and AU training are there. We also have automation training and others. We have line up training which is mandatory. These are what we need to work upon now, for us to upgrade the knowledge of our people.
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), like other sister agencies in the aviation sectors are now facing the baptism of aging workforce as most experienced workers are retiring from the system after the mandatory age in service. This is a source of concern to a presidential aspirant for the Aeronautical Information Management Association of Nigeria (AIMAN) James Olukayode Olalekan. In this exclusive interview with CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO, he bares his mind on so many worrisome issues in the agency, his forthcoming election and gives kudos to the management of NAMA for transformation of the agency. Tell us about yourself and the position you are vying for in AIMAN? I am Mr. James Olukayode Olalekan. I am vying for the position of President, in the forthcoming election of Aeronautical Information Management Association of Nigeria (AIMAN). The intention to contest for the president is enormous and I believe I have a lot to offer, not only for today but also for the future. Having been in the system for over 25 years, I believe I have the experience that is required to offer myself and to perform better. Basically, life is continuity, people that started this association in the past performed based on the privilege and opportunities they had in terms of environment, financially and all that. That is why I believe that life is a continuity. And that is one of the reason I felt that I also have a lot to offer in the aspect of networking, I believe the position of the AIMAN is a worthwhile body that can never be rubbished within the aviation industry. Basically, in the activities in the aviation industry, Aeronautical Information Management Association of Nigeria has a very peculiar role in the sense that before any flight is commenced, there must be proper and accurate information from us. By this, the AIM man must be articulate and committed, experience in providing all these things. Within the body itself, the role and responsibility of the body are so much that it is not only on the operational side, it comprises both the welfare of the staff, ensuring accurate training for the staff, ensuring that the body itself are harmonized, regardless of the tribe, gender, age or position; and that the body is one. We cannot but to work together as one. In this aspect, that is why I felt to vie for this position and to provide myself as a focal point that it will be like a call through which every person will be linked both within the management and the association. It is either in the aspect of AIM management or in the aspect of NAMA management. We cannot do it alone. We must complement each other’s efforts. The management is playing their own role as expected but in the aspect of AIS personnel, every one of us cannot go to the management at the same
time, and that is why I said for us to have a good representation, I see myself qualified amongst other contestant, that I can represent AIMAN very well and effectively. How do you intend to project the image of AIMAN to the public, as regard to your responsibility in the Nigeria’s aviation sector? There are so many strategies and plans that I have. I may not be able to generate all in the course of this discussions but in brief, there is nothing that can grow in the world if don’t project it very well. Number one is that within the aviation industry, there is going to be a collaborative efforts with other sister association like ATCs and other unions as well because here is unions and association. Interestingly, these unions have similar objectives and similar goals, though the mode of operations may be different. The mode of recognition by the government may also be different. There is limitations for associations and there is limitations for unions but in this case, my plan is to network with the media because, in every facet of life, the media are the tool through which you can reach the world. Though we are in the world of internet and computer, but yet there are some areas where the internet cannot go, especially people in the remote areas don’t have access to internet facilities. However I believe that the media to will play a lot of roles in ensuring that AIS is brought to limelight. Two, one of our major roles is that we will provide aeronautical information services. When you talk about that, it is the information and services that is related to the flight and operations of an aircraft. That is talking about the facilities which the aircraft are using in their operations such as: ILS, viewer, building, runway, services and so on. Without the tools and the people, there can never be an effective operations. No matter how supersonic your equipment may be, if the people are not properly trained and motivated, if their minds are not settled, basically, there is no way your output can be utilized. I plan to work with other agencies to work with the management. Most of the times people think being in unionism is like agitation;
Olalekan I don’t believe in agitation but I believe in discussion, negotiation, round table talk. We must work with the government because the federal government must have a role to play. The management of NAMA cannot do beyond what the federal governments gave them right to do. Likewise, AIS management cannot go beyond what NAMA management can do. No matter the agitation, you cannot get what you cannot get from the management but when we negotiate; we will be able to say this can go first and the other should come later. I want to use this opportunity to correct one impression; I am not sponsored by any management. It is my personal interest based on my goal due to experiences I have gathered in the past that I felt I have a lot to deliver. I want to see myself as a strong link between the management and my colleagues in the industry. Some see AIS as dormant. How can we correct that impression and remove AIS from that dormancy stage so that people could see it and be able to associate with it? If you want look at the definition of dormancy, it means something that is effective but not being utilized. But in this case, we cannot operate alone. One you must first of all be able to identify the problem. Two, you must re-orientate the people and motivate them, let them feel their peculiarity and importance in the industry. No matter how big an elephant is, if the environment is not conducive for it, definitely, it cannot perform. So personnel must first of all being looked into and be motivated.
Again, we must create an environment whereby there will be constant training in form of seminar, programmes, workshops within the country and other countries. For instance, with the link I have outside the aviation industry, we can have an exchange programme with countries like Ghana. ICAO has a lot of opportunities which we are yet to tap. IFAIMA also has a lot opportunities they are ready to offer us. But it requires somebody that can lead, that has knowledge and that can tell the people that this is the idea for us. The internet is open and we can get so many things but it requires somebody who is articulate, honest and transparent to lead the AIS from dormancy to the limelight. Currently, how many are your members; are they given adequate training? Presently, nationwide, I can put at 250 personnel. Some are retiring while some are coming in. I want to use this opportunity to give kudos to the present management of NAMA. Prejudice apart, the present management of NAMA within a year the Managing Director has come, he has really proven himself to be a man that can be trusted. That is in the areas of welfare and training. That notwithstanding, aviation training is continuous and very necessary. It means that, those that have been trained in the past needs retraining because our equipments are changing on daily bases. For instance, the computer we were using 10 years ago, if you are not retrained and you think that what you know then is what you know now, you will be outdated.
Would you say your number is adequate for you to do your job? Presently, I will say that we need to work on a succession plan. We may say that the manpower is adequate but we must project that in the next 5 years, how many people are going. So how long will it take NAMA to train that required number of people? For instance, if 100 or 50 people are going at a time, can number immediately employ and train 50 today? So talking of manpower, I will not say exactly that the manpower is enough, we still need more. At the same time, people that are on ground need to be trained for them to be able to take over from those that are retiring. Otherwise, by time they will retire, there will be a lot of vacuum and they will be under pressure for training. Like I said earlier on, training is capital intensive, so the money may not be there to train the required member as at that time, then there will be problem. Therefore, we strongly believe that we must work on our succession plan to be effective both in the area of manpower and training. Let’s look at your facilities. Do you have adequate and current facilities to work with? Presently, to some extent our equipment is ok but somehow, we need more. AIS job now is more of computer aids. Presently, we are talking of e-flight plans, A NOTAM and others. It is more effective in Lagos and it is world based. Why we are not using it in outstation is because of computer system. I can say that AIS nationwide need more computer because our jobs are more of computers. We also need a befitting office environment whereby we have access to every equipment. In a nutshell, we need more equipment in the aspect of AIS functions nationwide. I am not talking of Lagos alone; I am talking about nationwide. We are interconnected and for our jobs to be effective, we must be able to press a button or put a call across to all stations and our jobs would be received and not just to send through email or giving it to another person. If am working on my table here, at a click of a button, my work should be able to be disseminated to all stations. We need more computers.