How to Become Pilot in Nigeria will bring to your perusal the necessary step to step processes required to become a successful pilot in Nigeria.

How Hard is it to Become Pilot 

How Long to Become Pilot 

How Do I Become a Pilot in Nigeria:

1. Attend an Aviation School to be a Pilot in Nigeria
2. Obtain Certificates to be a Pilot in Nigeria
3. Obtain reasonable Flight Hours to be a Pilot in Nigeria
4. Apply For Pilot Job to be a Pilot in Nigeria

At our tender ages, we admire lawyers, engineers, doctors, and pilots and imagine being like them. But as we grow older, we begin to see things differently.

And then some who dare to hold on to their childhood dreams begin to ask: what does it take to be a pilot in Nigeria?

To become a pilot in Nigeria, one must go through the following processes:

1. Attend an Aviation School to be a Pilot in Nigeria

This is the first step in becoming a pilot. Nigeria has about 40 aviation schools. The most popular aviation school in Nigeria is the College of Aviation Technology.

Since it is owned by the federal government, it receives funding from the government and is more affordable than others.

For a pilot who wants to work with the military, the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) is the first port of call before such a student proceeds to the Nigerian Air Force for further training.  The other aviation schools, which are private, are also good options.

A candidate for an aviation school in Nigeria must be at least 16 years old. Some aviation schools do not take candidates who are less than 18. The candidate is expected to present a certificate of medical fitness.

At the aviation school, students receive two sets of instructions or training: classroom lessons and practical flight instructions in an aircraft.

Training in an aviation school usually takes one to two years. Here are the types of schools you can apply for depending on your main goals:

2. Obtain Certificates to be a Pilot in Nigeria

There are two broad categories of certificates one must possess to become a pilot, medical certificates and aviation certificates. The medical certificates are of different grades, for private and commercial flight operators.

The career certification process is step-by-step. Each certificate has its own purpose. These include:

a. Private Pilot Certificate (PPC)

Every pilot must possess this basic certificate which permits them to fly a plane alone in Nigeria. In Nigeria, a pilot must be at least 17 years old to be legible for the award of the PPC.

b. Commercial Pilot Certificate (CPC)

This license is required for every air transport pilot (ATP) who wants to undertake commercial flights.

Being the highest honor in civilian aviation, a candidate must not be less than 23 years of age to qualify for the license.

c. Instrument Rating (IR)

This certificate attests to the pilot’s competence to safely navigate an aircraft in bad weather conditions as well as his ability to use, without assistance, the instruments found in the cockpit.

d. Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)

If as a pilot you desire to be a flight instructor, then you will need a CFI. Even though this license is not necessary when applying for a flying job, being a flight instructor, and teaching others to fly helps one earn more flight hours and gain wider experience.

e. University Degree

Although a university degree is not a major requirement for employment in the aviation sector, employers prefer hiring pilots that have a Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to aviation, science, or engineering course.

3. Obtain reasonable Flight Hours to be a Pilot in Nigeria

Aside from obtaining licenses and certificates, a would-be pilot has to accumulate between 40 to 4000 flight hours logged to his record.

However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) stipulates 1500 flight hours to be a licensed airline pilot.

One can hire a flight instructor with the Federal Airport Authority (FAA) to supervise and record his flight progress.

4. Apply For Pilot Job to be a Pilot in Nigeria

At long last, one is ready to launch into a career as a pilot in Nigeria. Apply to an aviation company, private aircraft owner, or the Nigerian Air Force.

A pilot trainee who attended aviation school through a scholarship award may be called upon right away by the sponsor airline.

Besides, having more flight hours to your record would boost your chance of immediate employment.

The emolument for Nigerian pilots is handsome. Pilots undertaking local flights can earn as high as N800,000 monthly while international flight pilots earn up to 3Million Naira every month.