This study analyses the involvement of women in the Nigerian Aviation Industry in historical perspective. It highlights the contributions, problems, roles from inception of the Nigeria airways in 1958 up to 2014. The Aviation industry involves all aspects of aviation, including airlines and training centers, vendors, flight crews ,Administrative and regulatory authorities.
The Aviation Industries works to transport people and products (cargo) throughout the world1.significant step in aviation came with the construction of the first powered airplane by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903.2 However ,the aviation story began with an almost forgotten contributor to that great effort, their sister Katherine Wright. In remembering the financial and moral support, she provided to them, her brother Wilbur said “If ever the world thinks of us in connection with aviation, it must remember our sister3”.
As years and decades rolled by, the highly male-dominated industry in Nigeria experienced significant changes to incorporate female aviators; Though the pilots are the fundamental personnel in the industry known as aviatrix, women are found almost in all areas of the industry and have made significant strides and contributions as pilots, engineers, Air crew ,aviation training instructors, ground staff, Aviation minsters, in the administrative sector and the informal sector.
That being said, Women are a minority group in the Aviation industry, they faced and are still facing various challenges in their push to forge ahead, which resulted in setbacks to their effective growth in the industry4. In fact, many vital issues encountered in the past are still present and often overlooked in today’s aviation industry.5Their roles and contributions have mostly being left largely unnoticed and unsung.
This study chronicles the contributions and achievements, challenges and prospects of women in the Aviation Industry within the time frame specified.Women had made great contributions in the Aviation sector in Nigeria which should not be wished away. Women have always been wonderful builders ,hence there is need for more active involvement of the female gender to help grow the Industry . I contend that if Women are given better enabling position in the Aviation industry in Nigeria, they could significantly unlock their potentials and future growth.Therefore, identifying the problems encountered by women with effective corrective measure is necessary to keep, increase and motivate women in Aviation Industry in Nigeria. Likewise, I will discuss their contributions to the economic growth of Nigeria.
This study falls within the subfield of Socio-economic history. It depends on data which will be systematically collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include Oral interviews of relevant people within (those who had worked and still working) and outside of the Aviation Industry. Also structured interviews with travel agencies and travelers during the period of study. Also I need to visit as many places that are relevant to this study to obtain information and documents. I will visit two important repositories; the National Archives in Ibadan and Lagos state research and Archival Bureau. I will visit Airline offices, Airports, Aviation Agencies.I will source documents from FAAN Training school Library.I will collect data from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Training school databases.Necessary documents would be obtained from ministries and parastatals. Interviews and documents will be obtained from the regulatory agencies :This is the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The NCAA watches over the entire industry. It is the apex regulatory body, overseeing the activities of all airlines and their pilots, engineers, cabin staff, airports, airstrips and heliports, all airport authority and the air traffic service providers including the aviation training institutions.
Scholarly works relevant to the topic would be employed with some level of objectivity. And these sources of information will be rigorously checked for authenticity and quality assurance.
In conclusion, this study will show the impact of women in the Aviation industry in Nigeria ,the problems hindering their moving forward, their different roles, during the time frame specified; to state that women as human resources in the industry are indispensable to the growth of the Aviation industry and should therefore be given adequate attention they deserve. We are in the 21st century, a time for women to be well footed in every area of the Aviation Industry without dogged challenges over the years. A time of consideration and re-evaluation is imminent.