In commemoration of the “Girls in Aviation Day” the Women In Aviation, the Glowing Wings Chapter Nigeria recently organised a youth empowerment and aviation careers seminar with aviation themed activities and reaching out to female students 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) based in Florida in the United States of America and is set aside to celebrate the girl child as well as expose and encourage 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, Liutenant Colonel 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.
The President of Women In Aviation – Glowing Wings Chapter, Mrs. Evelyn Njoku, shared her story with the students of how she came into aviation from a Public Relations background working with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
She stressed that “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 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 Organisation (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.
They were each also presented with gifts of free mathematical sets to assist them with their studies and treated to refreshments.