Omatek, Afribank launch N1.5bn computer ownership programme

Oluwaseun Ayantokun, Lagos

Sebastian Adigwe, MD, Afribank.Omatek Computers Limited, in conjunction with the Delta State government, has launched the Computer-for-all Nigerians initiative (CANI) in the state.

This is on the bill of the N1.5billion stake from Afribank to Omatek to enable a credit facility for some categories of ‘Deltans’ to purchase Omatek computers with payment stretched over several months.

Delta State would be the ninth state to partake of the CANI initiative that is expected to help cater for employees and students of Delta State.

This scheme ensures about 15,000 personal computers, including laptops and desktops, go to the state government for interested civil/public servants.

The event had prominent citizens of the state in attendance, including permanent secretaries and commissioners.

NAMA trains 52 air traffic controllers

Gboyega Adeoye, Lagos

ANOTHER batch of twelve Air Traffic Controllers of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), trained in the United States of America (USA) on Area Radar Control, arrived the country recently, bringing the number of air traffic personnel so far trained in that country to fifty two.

The massive training exercise, commenced March last year at the Pan-Am Academy, Miami, US, when the management of Captain Ado Sanusi was barely four months old in office.

The tuition fee alone cost the Agency over $280,000 (about N34million) for five batches so far trained in that country.

The Managing Director of the agency (NAMA), Captain Ado Sanusi, said in Lagos that the training of the technical staff would be intensified this year, pointing out that the management planned to train about 200 air traffic controllers on Area Radar Control to man the multi-million naira radar project for the country on completion.

Captain Sanusi attributed the success of the training so far recorded to the collaborative efforts of the US embassy in Nigeria whose officials, he stressed, had supported the management’s drive in capacity building.

“We are indeed impressed by the performance of our controllers at the Academy and by this, we are spurred to undertake more training courses this year to meet up with the set target,” Sanusi remarked.

Captain Sanusi who also appreciated the government for its unflinching support, re affirmed his commitment to bringing NAMA services to global standards through manpower development and facility upgrade at airports across the country

The Pan-Am Academy, Miami, US has been endorsed by the country’s aviation watchdog, Nigerain Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as a foreign training institute for NAMA air traffic controllers.