Achieving the dream of becoming a pilot is a very long and frustrating path to follow, it takes pure will and determination to earn a commercial pilot license. The very moment you make up your mind about joining possibly the most exhilarating career on the planet, the struggle begins which includes raising the funds for your flight training which frankly isn't a joke. On average a pilot spends nothing less than N10million on flight training.
The funds needed to see a pilot through flight school is nothing compared to the stress and mental concentration needed to attain a commercial pilot license.
One would expect that after all the struggles of of getting a commercial pilot license, the will always be job openings to crown the efforts of the ever growing number of pilots fresh out of flight schools. Sadly this is not the case, as a matter of fact there are over 200 unemployed pilots presently in nigeria with some pilots being out of jobs for over 3 years.
This number is constantly rising as there are more Nigerians finishing from flight schools all over the world on a daily basis to return home and join the saturated market of unemployed pilots. This is a sad situation because some pilots had to take loans from relatives and in some cases banks just to achieve there dreams, which right now is a nightmare.
The depression and frustration of unemployed pilots in nigeria is being fueled by the high amount of expatriates pilots working in nigeria while Nigerians are lavishing at home with no jobs. It's really sad that the airlines in nigeria prefer hiring this expatriates pilots when in their countries you can't get the same job if you are not a citizen or permanent residence in most cases.
Job creation is a fundamental responsibility of the government in power, that being said the nigerian government has been siting idle about the issue of unemployed pilots in nigeria hence allowing it to escalate to this stage. The government cant force private aircraft owners to employ any of the unemployed, but government can support the airlines in this country through subsidized operational costs, government bail-out to airlines struggling in debt, passed laws that favors Nigerian citizens than expatriates and ultimately create a NATIONAL CARRIER, which is the foremost cause of the problem. It's a shame that the most populous country in Africa is without a national carrier.
The reasons giving by airlines why the don't hire pilots straight out of flight school is that they are inexperienced and without type rating, then again how can pilots get this experience when they are not hired. General aviation is really not practiced in nigeria which is another way young inexperienced pilot can build flight hours which is the proof of your experience by flying smaller planes for banner towing, sight seeing, pipelines inspections, tourism, skydiving, aerial photography and flight instructing.
The future is uncertain for so many pilots in this great country and a drastic change is needed urgently.
38 comments:
True words
The truth is Nigerian owned airlines mostly private employ the services of white skinned pilot and pilots are highly paid ,an average F O first officer gets close to a million naira monthly at least in existing airlines sooooooooooooooooooooo finding job may not be easy too
It is well
This is so true as my brother who is currently in the states has been in and out of Nigeria sending cvs and looking to be hired in Nigeria all to no avail,may God help us all.
that's just too sad. i thought these guys already had a sure job waiting for them
Jeez...it's just not funny after spending so much money n time just like law n engineering yet no jobs. #whichwaynigeria
make una continue writing.Goldensarah9@yahoo.com
Jeez...it's just not funny after spending so much money n time just like law n engineering yet no jobs. #whichwaynigeria
Abeg no be only pilot. There is a high rate of unemployment in Nigeria, which automatically affects all sector, fields and profession. The government should do more to reduce the unemployment rate in Nigeria.
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Me too dey find wrk abeg,no b only pilots everybody even doctors dey cmpln
My friend saw this scenario coming like 12yrs ago so after getting his CPL, he went back to aviation school to get a helicopter pilot license (which pays higher anyway).
Moral of the Story: Get detailed orientation before making a sensitive life decision.
When airlines are going down, why won't they be jobless
This article is very true, and needs attention from the government. Also awareness needs to created - Linda I think you need to support this as well.
He should write to Mr President.
unemployment is causing havoc inthis country..if not checked,Nigeria will be in danger..
Unemployment Is everywhere in Naija
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My country which way to go
Unemployment keeps increasing in every field
BORN TO SHINE!!!
So basically private jet owners and private airline owners are racist ba
The article is meant for a country with action plans for its citizens, my man tell d pilots to go learn tailoring or back to farm to avoid hunger.
Like say una knw knw d country una dey.
i feel their pain bt com o to b sincere i would feel safer in the hands of a foreign pilot than a Nigerian pilot o. lol..
This is so SAD and our so called politicians are busy sharing money they would hv use to create jobs against 2015 elections. More so, it is mostly unemployed youths are even doing d mobilization and campaigns for d so called rulers may God help dis country
What happen to nigeria Airways??? Ehn, coz u are. Talking about National carrier.. this happens in all field so bros, deal with it
Yes please all this aspirant should look into this..biko my brother who finished from phoenix has also been looking for a job...since he got back and it's not funny anymore..d old pilots should ease retire an give room for this young ones to grow too.ll the money for fees can't just be pending like that.nigerian aviation authority should give ears to dis too....come 2015
Mr Pilot calm down cos there is high rate of unemployment in virtually all d disciplines now. People no longer practise what they studied but i know it shall well one.
Shalom!
The truth is that government knows the state of education here and thus can not trust a Nigerian to fly them so they opt for foreigners. What government should do is to mandate every airline that runs in the country to employ at least one Nigerian. It should be made a law o help our people, because foreigners are slowly taking over all the high profile jobs in the country.
...It's not only on the airline sector
...I think the rate of unemployment in 9ja is massive
...God help us
Do the unusual by hijacking a plane from Lagos and fly It to Abuja to prove your credibility. @amfestus
Thank you so much for this Linda.... After the long wait to go on your first solo flight and then build hours in bad conditions like that of Port Elizabeth where the wind is always gusting. No jobs for guys not type rated second phase would be uk again to pay 21k pounds for boeing rating and still no jobs. I pray someday not just pilots but everyone in our beloved country get employed in there various fields. happy landings my fellow pilots.
That's why am doing yahoo after graduating with a first class. Its a big shame and I wish I wasn't born a Nigerian.
If a pilot can raise 10 million just for training, why not just raise money to buy your own commercial plane and be shuttling between Lagos and Abuja. just kidding!!!!
Dumb fuck!! Fly Emirates from lagos to akure nah.
idiot!
Ash I feel you die! The excuse is always 'no Boeing rating' then you do it and you are dulled! Plus no flight school to go and do instructor.. Let's just hope for the best, or we can all join and create flight schools....
If pilots are having trouble finding work then work as an air traffic controller instead, this is what my friend did. He knew getting out of pilot school in the US the pay would be crap, plus he would have to clock so many flight hours before he would start seeing any money, I am talking something like 5000 hrs, some high ass shyt like that, so he chose to be an air traffic controller. The starting rate for air traffic controllers is 100k/yr vs the $16-18/hr he would make as a commercial pilot during the period of building his hours which would take like 10 years before he could reach the 5000 hr flight requirement to start seeing real money.
Some of these out of work pilots should be looking into working for private flight firms. The training is an international one, so there should be no issues with a pilot flying from or to anywhere, whether it is a 737 or a Lear. Someone else mentioned getting a helicopter license to open other avenues. There is also a need for pilots to make deliveries to remote corners of the world, yeah, this is not glamorous work, but it allows you to do what you are trained to do and earn a decent living.
There are different avenues you can take that will keep you in the aviation industry and put food on your table. Dust yourselves off and go look for them; seek, knock, and ask.
The height of inferiority complex. Smh
points well taken but when you have pilot who does not know the difference between possessive words or contrast words, or can't spell well , then it would be hard to get a job, as a pilot. If his word miscues, in communicating with the general public, are typos or lacking in concentration then there is danger hiring people like that as pilots because, piloting an airplane requires all the attention , in every sense of the word, you can muster.
Hello Doom critic if that's how the country will continue to Judge people who try to Voice out their problems or opinion by there choice of words and sentences then you are leaving in a doom world. Pls if you don't have something highly intellectual to contribute just please Sir/Ma shot up. I know your mother who ever you are will be really disappointed for having born a critic.
And for the un-employed pilots in town all will be well only if Nigeria Insurance sector take charge cause most of this Foreign pilots are been assign to the airline from the insurance companies who cover the airlines back and also they Federal Government need to please loan out to the airlines cause there is no Airline in Nigeria that's not under water with debt, if the drawn in debt the end up shot down and that will increase the Number of Unemployment in the country.
Thanks #Paree.
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