The Commandant Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna Air Vice Marshal MA Yakubu paid a courtesy visit to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to acquaint himself with the organization having taken over as the new Commandant of the Institute and to foster existing relationship between the two organizations.
AVM Yakubu said that AFIT has benefitted immensely since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which has filled a major gap in repositioning the Institute particularly in the area of capacity development.
In his words, “No institution will grow without the capacity development of its staff which calls for the appreciation of PTDF in the efforts they have put in place to build the capacity of AFIT staff” he said. Also, he appreciated the Executive Secretary for the overseas sponsorship offered to three AFIT staff to attend the Masters and PhD programmes respectively.
Speaking further, the Commandant appealed to the Executive Secretary of the fund to facilitate the approval of the beneficiaries for 2021/2022 scholarship which was delayed as a result of the COVID 19 restrictions. He said that this will go a long way to aid the Institute achieve its vision and be reckoned with across the globe. Adding that AFIT has one of the best courses in Nigeria being the pioneer of Aeronautical Engineering.
Furthermore, AVM Yakubu also stated that his predecessors have done a lot to widen the scope of partnership on human capacity building, hence crave the indulgence of the fund to focus on equipment and infrastructural development which is a shortfall of the Institute.
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He said that the support in equipment and infrastructural development will help the Institute to produce professional engineers who will help Nigeria in its quest for national development. Stating that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research project is one of such projects aimed at aiding the Nigerian Armed Forces operations which the fund can also benefit from.
In the same development, the Executive Secretary of the fund Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau expressed willingness to expand the collaborations. He said that the Institute should not rely solely on overseas programmes but look inward as well on capacity development in Nigerian Universities.
Dr Bello counseled that the two organisations meet regularly to deliberate on more areas for the collaboration. He also said that he was marveled on the competency of the Institute with what he saw when he paid AFIT a courtesy visit.
Responding to the Executive Secretary the Provost of the Institute Professor Mohammed Dauda assured that the Institute will propose to its staff to also look inward for programmes in the Nigerian Universities. He lauds the commitment of the Executive Secretary and the implementation of the scholarship scheme which is a contributory factor in improving the standards of AFIT.
Highlights of the visits were exchange of pleasantries, souvenirs and group photographs.