The Minister of Defence, Mohammed
Badaru Abubakar, yesterday raised hope about a better prospects of aircraft
maintenance in the country.
He said With facility on ground,
Caverton can become hub for aircraft maintenance in Africa .
Abubakar commended Caverton
Helicopters management for their vision and foresight in bringing the state of
the art facility to the country, thereby promoting economic growth and human
capital development.
The minister spoke on the import
of maintenance duringhis facility tour of Caverton Helicopters' Maintenance,
Repair and Overhaul (MRO) at the
premises of Murtala Muhammed lnternational Airport, lkeja Lagos.
Badaru, who was the second
minister to visit Caverton within a month, said he was impressed by achievements of the company.
He said: "Our dream in the
Ministry of Defence is to produce all the equipment that we need for Defence in
Nigeria and, here at Caverton, I have seen proofs of assurance that we can
partner to do it.
"I assure you that you have
what it takes to produce what we need and we will partner.
"We are working tirelessly
to make sure that in the next four years, most of these equipment we go abroad
to buy will be produced locally. And from what I have seen with you, we can
partner in areas of air assets," the minister appreciated Caverton Helicopters.
The minister was received by the
Chairman Caverton Helicopters, Mallam Bello Gwandu, Chairman of Caverton
Marine, Mr Akin Kekere-Ekun, Chief Executive Officer, Caverton Offshore Support
Group (COSG), Mr. Olabode Makanjuola, and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Rotimi
Makanjuola and other top management
staff.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry
of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Kana, said: "While we were on the tour of the
facility, my Honourable Minister said to me in Hausa: 'Seeing is believing'. He
came to Lagos to see what is on ground especially at Caverton" in his
getting set for the military industrial complex take off.
"He came, he saw and he is
impressed by what he saw. He is a talk-and-do minister and will be ready to
work especially with you," he said.
Makanjuola described the day of visit as special because for the honour of "hosting a very distinguished guest in the person of the Honourable Minister of Defence for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (MON), Sardauna Ringim and Walin Jahun."
Makanjuola spoke on the Caverton
Offshore Support Group, which is to be listed company on the Nigeria Stock
Exchange.
He said the company "takes great pride in
being the leading offshore support logistics company in Nigeria" with its
subsidiaries, Caverton Marine and Caverton Helicopters, equally positioned as
leaders in their respective fields.
Makanjuola added: "Caverton
Marine started out in 1999 as a vessel owner, operator and recently diversified
into designing and building GRP boats ranging from passenger ferries to
security boats.
"Caverton Helicopters
Limited is the largest indigenous aviation logistics support company in
Nigeria, with over 2 decades of experience providing rotary and fixed wing
services to the oil and gas industry. We currently operate a mixed fleet of
aircraft across multiple locations in Nigeria and West Africa."
One of the key achievements of
the company, he said, was establishment of the MRO facility that he described
as the only world-class in sub-Saharan Africa, right on ground in Lagos,
Nigeria.
Makanjuola added: "This
facility has allowed us to deliver light and heavy maintenance, repair, and
overhaul services to our clients. We are honoured to have had the opportunity
to serve the Nigerian Navy, Airforce, and other government agencies, ensuring
the safety and reliability of their aircraft.
"Furthermore, our Training
Centre houses the first-ever full reality AW-139 simulator, as well as asoon to
be commissioned AW-109 simulator. These simulators enable us to provide
comprehensive and realistic training to our pilots, ensuring the highest
standards of safety and operational excellence. We hope that the Honourable
Minister will have a memorable and enlightening experience during his planned
first flight in the AW 139 simulator. He also stated the company’s landmark
achievements.
"Our success at Caverton is
built on the pillars of innovation, professionalism, safety and unwavering
dedication to customer satisfaction. We are proud of our achievements and the
positive impact we have made in the Nigerian aviation and maritime
sectors," the CEO said.
Makanjuola said Carverton, which
has its base in Caverton Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Cameroo, woukd now
extend its operations to the Gambia and Senegal.
He gave a brief about images in
the MRO and training centres, saying the company has trained 200 pilots who are
now flying here in Nigeria and in other countries.
The Director of Quality and
Safety, Mr. Kofo Macaulay, gave safety brief regarding the operations of
Caverton after which presentations of gifts were made to the minister.
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