NAHCO endows BUK with N25m

Board of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO Aviance Plc) has approved two chaired professorial endowments-the first in Bayero University Kano, home of West Africa’s first airport and the second in University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The endowment fund is worth N25million that would enable the chair carry out research in Aviation Economics.
Speaking at the event in Kano, NAHCO chairman Suleiman Yahyah said Bayero University deserves such an honour being in the first city that hosted an aircraft in Nigeria.

On why the university was chosen, Alhaji Yahyah said Kano is ancient city and hitherto center of commerce for West Africa.
“The Mallam Aminu Kano Airport was the first airport established in West Africa in 1930s and our core business in NAHCO Plc is aviation handling. So when we decided as a company to realign our CSR from mere donations and interventions and support to long term sustainable support, we felt that BUK having sustained a tradition of academic excellence and who had bred several champions who are today in positions of leadership in various sectors of Nigerian economy, this should be one of our first ports of call.”

Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abubakar Rasheed said the money coming with the research will help in making impact in transport economics in such a way that after five years of the duration of the present endowment, the department would have acquired enough competence by training some candidates including doctorates students in the area of Transport Economy or holding annual conference in the field.

On her part, the new chair Prof Ummu Ahmed Jalingo said the new endowment is a way of moving the society forward. She thanked NAHCO for choosing her department. NAHCO Aviance is a Nigerian diversified enterprise with interest in aviation cargo, aircraft handling, passenger facilitation, crew transportation and aviation training among others.