BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Society of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers of Nigeria (SLAMEN), on Friday, May 24, joined the global aviation community to celebrate the International Aircraft Engineers Day.
SLAMEN, a professional platform for all practicing Aircraft Engineers in Nigeria, also sought government and private sector’s support to fortify its operations.
With a strength of about four thousand (4000) Licensed Aircraft Engineers, the Society provides members with professional education through seminars, workshops, etc.
The Society is an affiliate of the Aircraft Engineers International (ΑΕΙ) with headquarters in Belgium. With AEI only concerning itself with the interests of air safety, aviation maintenance and maintenance qualified personnel throughout the world.
“SLAMEN is proud to join the global aviation community in celebrating the International Aircraft Engineers Day on Friday May 24, 2024. This day recognizes the critical role that Aircraft Maintenance Engineers play in ensuring the safety, security and reliability of air travel and its operations.
“SLAMEN, the professional body for Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in Nigeria, is using this occasion to highlight the importance of aircraft maintenance in the aviation industry. Our members work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that aircrafts are airworthy and meet the highest safety standards leveraging on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annexes along with the Aircraft Manufacturers documents.
“For every aircraft you see in the air, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer must have CERTIFIED it as AIRWORTHY before being taken to the skies by pilots.
“We are proud to celebrate the dedication and expertise of our members who work diligently to keep the flying public safe,” said Engr Mubarak Haladu, President of SLAMEN. “Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are the unsung HEROES of the aviation industry, and we are grateful for their hard work and commitment to excellence and service” the body said in a statement.
As part of the activities to mark the International Aircraft Engineers Day, SLAMEN organized a series of events, including a symposium on aircraft maintenance best practices, a training session on new technologies, and an awards ceremony to recognize outstanding contributions to the profession.
SLAMEN also used the opportunity to call on the government and industry stakeholders to support the development of aircraft maintenance infrastructure and training programs in Nigeria.
“There are quite a lot of qualified aircraft maintenance engineers in the country without employment and are required to be absorbed by either Airlinesor AMOS- Approved Maintenance Organizations.
However, we are yet to have a standard, equipped Hangar facility in the Country. Again, they can be employed by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which we
also do not have. We need establishment of multiple maintenance facilities and airlines to employ the qualified unemployed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in the country.
“We believe that investing in aircraft maintenance will not only improve safety, boost the growth of the industry and also save forex for Nigeria; the amount of foreign currencies that end up abroad via aircraft maintenance can boost the already weakened economy of Nigeria” said the professional body’s President, Engr Mubarak Haladu.
