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Local Content Bill For Aviation Industry Ready, Soon -Mark
Senate President David Mark has said that the National Assembly (NASS) would consider a revolutionary local content regulation for Nigeria’s aviation industry to improve the sector.
Mark said this in Lagos yesterday during the unveiling of 127 pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers trained by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta.
Represented by the Senate Deputy Leader, Sen. Abdul Ningi Mark said that the regulation would be passed into law in due course.
He said that the regulation would make it mandatory for both domestic and foreign airlines operating in Nigeria to employ a certain number of indigenous pilots and aircraft engineers.
He said that the proposed legislation would be part of efforts to deepen local participation in the aviation sector.
The senate president noted that the sector had witnessed influx of expatriates as pilots, aircraft engineers and other aviation professionals.
He said the regulation had become imperative as one of the ways of creating an avenue for Nigerian aviation professionals to secure jobs in the aviation sector.
Mark said that NASS would continue to support the Presidential Amnesty Programme for the training of youths in the country in order to close the gaps in manpower needs.
“The National Assembly will continue to support the programme.
“The legislation will make it mandatory for airlines, whether local or foreign, to employ a certain number of Nigerian professionals as pilots and aircraft engineers.
‘’This, we, will pursue as much as it does not conflict with international regulations,” he said.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, said that the house would give speedy passage to the bill to be initiated by the senate.
Tambuwal was represented by the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Rep. Warman Ogoriba.
He said that the initiative was to protect the nation’s interest.
The speaker also said that regulation would facilitate job creation for indigenous aviation professionals.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Aviation, Capt. Shehu Iyal said that aviation agencies would collaborate to ensure that pilots and aircraft engineers were absorbed into the sector.
Iyal described the type-rating of 66 pilots and 61 aircraft engineers as historic, adding that their engagement would help to fill the gap created by ageing of indigenous professionals in the sector.
“We will liaise with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and indeed the Amnesty Office to provide jobs for these trainees.
“The office has its list and their qualifications. Some are pilots of helicopters; some are for fixed wings while some have more training to do.
‘’We know where we will place them. This is good for the development of the Nigerian aviation industry. The Amnesty Office has done very well.
‘’I have seen a bigger number sent for training. Kano sent 100 trainee pilots to Jordan for training,’’ he said.
Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingseley Kuku urged airline owners and players in the aviation and allied sectors to employ the young pilots and aircraft engineers.
Kuku said that the young professionals were competent and licensed, having been trained in some of the world’s foremost institutions.
He said that the 127 aviation professionals had been trained to a level that it would be difficult for any organisation to describe them as incompetent.
“The Nigerian Government will take further steps to complete ‘on duty training’ for these pilots and aircraft engineers to make it difficult for any employer to reject them,” Kuku said.
Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development Board, Mr. Ernest Nwakpa urged NASS to go beyond legislation and pursue enforcement of the Local Content Act.
He said that the enforcement would enable the young pilots and aircraft engineers to get jobs faster.
Chairman, AirPeace Airlines, Mr. Allen Onyema promised to engage 15 of the pilots in his airline on completion of their type-rating training at the CAE Oxford Aviation in the United Kingdom and Lufthansa in Germany.
Former Bayelsa Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha urged the pilots to demonstrate discipline and competence on their jobs so that their communities would appreciate Federal Government’s huge investment in them.
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The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying he was moved by counsel during a New Year Mass.
Speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, yesterday, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.
He said, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
In 2025, Akpabio had filed several high-profile defamation lawsuits, including one against colleague Senator Natasha Akpoti?Uduaghan.
In late 2025, Akpabio filed a N200 billion defamation lawsuit against her over allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied and urged her to substantiate in court.
Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife also filed defamation suits against Akpoti?Uduaghan over claims she said had harmed her family’s reputation.
Relations between the two lawmakers soured after Akpoti?Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, following her public allegations of misconduct.
The Senator had previously challenged actions taken against her in court, including a N100 billion defamation suit she filed against Akpabio and other defendants over alleged remarks that she said damaged her reputation.
With yesterday’s announcement, Akpabio has formally ended all pending legal disputes arising from defamation claims, signalling closure to the publicised litigations as the year begins.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the best form of gratitude Rivers people owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for protecting the interest of the State is to galvanize massive support for the President in 2027.
Fubara disclosed this last Monday during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries Quarters built by his administration at Elimgbu in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
He said that the State has what it takes to deliver the President during the 2027 general elections.
“We’ve taken a decision,our decision is for the good of Rivers State, our decision is to say thank you for the protection we have from Mr President, our decision is to prove that we have what it takes to deliver Mr President.”
Fubara expressed delight over the completion of the project, stating that the initiative was to provide accommodation, a basic need of life for public servants in the state to improve their productivity.
He explained that lack of effective social welfare was at the root of some incriminating actions that undermine the purpose of governance, noting that the commissioning of the newly built Permanent Secretaries Quarters marks a significant milestone in civil service welfare and institutional development.
“Insecurity begins when individuals are uncertain of what the next hour holds. This situation is especially challenging for family men and women, affecting confidence and decision-making,” he observed.
Fubara emphasized the need for proper maintenance of the facility and urged the beneficiaries to protect the project like a personal property, while directing the State Head of Service to appoint a facility manager to ensure long-term maintenance.
In her remarks, the Special Guest of Honour and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who unveiled the project, expressed appreciation to the governor and Rivers State for inviting her to commission the project.
She commended Fubara for prioritizing the welfare of Permanent Secretaries who are senior public servants and accounting officers, noting that the project reflects purposeful and visionary leadership, and urged other states to borrow a cue from the Rivers State Governor.
Walson-Jack described the initiative as a strategic investment in staff welfare and institutional continuity which she noted is in line with Renewed Hope Initiative on provision of mass housing and social stability.
“The commissioning of these houses reflect a deliberate commitment to the dignity, welfare, and productivity of senior public servants responsible for policy coordination and service delivery,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibode Bashiru, who led a high powered delegation on a visit to the governor, congratulated Rivers people for aligning with the Pan Nigerian political party, assuring that the interest of Rivers State will be duly protected in the APC.
He described President Bola Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian who anchors his leadership on equity, fairness and justice, adding that the APC will provide a level playing ground for all.
The APC chief scribe also commended Fubara for providing good accommodation for public servants, stating that it will address issues of sabotage, compromise and disloyalty on the part of public servants.
Giving the project description, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, said the estate comprises 29 units, including nine standalone duplexes and 20 terrace buildings.
Facilities feature a water treatment plant, synchronized power generators, CCTV and alarm systems, a gym, recreational areas, and green spaces—designed to enhance comfort, performance, and productivity.
Earlier, the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr Mrs Inyingi Brown, had thanked the governor for his visionary initiative and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Rivers State Civil Servants, and restated the commitment of the State civil servants to the success of Fubara’s administration.
By: Taneh Beemene