Meet First Female Pilot from Katsina State [Photos, Video]

Ruqayya Suleiman, first female pilot from Katsina State

Meet Ruqayya Suleiman who became the first female pilot from Bakori Local Government Area, Katsina State.

The young woman was in the group of 15 other pilots trained in South Africa under a full Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) scholarship as international-certified commercial pilots.
Ruqayya’s family as well as the woman herself is overjoyed and thanks PTDF for her dream implementation. Ms Suleiman is thought to have broken the cultural barrier by acquiring higher education that is quite unusual for girls from her area.

Not only Ms Suleiman is overwhelmed with happiness, another beneficiary, Angel Odumodu from Port Harcourt in Rivers State said he was shocked when he got the call from the PTDF, “I wasn’t expecting it but now I am a pilot and the whole family is excited”.

Another lucky man is from Ogbia in Bayelsa State. Ogoromsi Apiri has always been interested in jets and helicopters but after his father’s death the dream of becoming a pilot seemed impossible – until the PTDF granted him the scholarship.

Nigeria’s youngest pilot Tosin Ajibola, 18, from Kwara State, who is one of the 20 children of his father with four wives said, “I wanted to be a pilot but I realized it will cost me between 12 to 20Million Naira to study abroad. My father who has 20 of us to take care of would not be able to afford the cost, so I told myself that I may has as well let go the dream.”

With the success achieved with this first batch, Mr. Ajayi, PTDF’s Executive Sectary believes that this is a dream come true for the trainees as the agency has given them a rare opportunity to improve their lives as they become “key professionals in the Oil and Gas sector.”

According to Mr. Ajayi, the aim of the scholarship is to create capacity for the Oil and Gas sector and that with the support of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Mudueke, the agency is fulfilling its mission. [Nigerian times]