BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Glowing Wings, the Nigerian Chapter of Women In Aviation (WAI), recently rolled out the drums to celebrate “Girls in Aviation Day”.
The event-packed celebration kicked off with a youth empowerment, aviation career seminar and other aviation-themed activities.
There were also sensitisation activities aimed at reaching out to female students, especially those of Command Day Secondary School, Ikeja Cantonment, Maryland, Lagos.
The day is a global event initiated in 2015 by the Women in Aviation International (WAI) headquartered in Florida, United States of America.
It is a day set aside to celebrate the girl child by exposing and encouraging them to follow careers in aviation in an effort to promote inclusiveness, change the narrative and boost the number of female aviators in an otherwise male-dominated industry.
Welcoming the Glowing Ladies to the celebrations at the school hall, the Commandant, Lt. Col. S. O. Omoyeni thanked the group for choosing Command Day Secondary School to mark the 2023 celebrations.
He said the school always takes pride in identifying with projects and activities that will further promote the educational wellbeing, growth and development of the students.
“And today’s celebration with aviation professionals from various fields of expertise within the industry present to share their experiences and offer ideas on how to forge a career in the sector is a welcome development,” he remarked.
Also speaking, the President, Women In Aviation, Glowing Wings Chapter, Mrs. Evelyn Njoku shared her story with the students on how she came into aviation from a Public Relations background working with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
She charged the girls to believe that with determination and hardwork, “they could achieve whatever they decide to be in the sector once they set their minds to it and remain focused on their dreams.”
The students were exposed to various aviation career paths with presentations made by seasoned female aviation experts who shared their unique stories in the fields of Piloting, Air Traffic Control (ATC), Cabin Crew, and Aircraft Dispatch. The presenters include; Senior First Officer Theodora Ndabai of United Nigeria Airlines; Mrs. Kate Nnana-Ibemgbo, DGM, Air Traffic Management, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Miss Ndifreke Bassey, a Cabin Crew with Lush Purple Jet Services; and Mrs. Victoria Adegbe, an Aircraft Dispatcher and Managing Director, Aviatrix Hub, an Approved Training Organization (ATO) within the aviation sector.
A select group of over 90 female students drawn from Junior and Senior Secondary School classes took part in the day’s celebrations. Each of them received a free Mathematical set from the visiting mentors to assist them with their studies. They were also served refreshments.
