Abdullahi Abubakar’s journey into aviation began with the ambition of becoming a professional pilot, but a sponsorship setback has left him riding a motorcycle for a living in Kebbi State.
Abubakar, from Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, enrolled at the International Aviation College, Ilorin, in 2018 after securing support from the Kebbi State Government.
THE WHISTLER find out that the government reportedly spent about N2m on his training, enabling him to complete a year of study, obtain a Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and pass the required ground-school examinations conducted under the supervision of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
But just as he approached the circuit and landing stage of his training, the financial support stopped.
Nasir Abubakar, a friend to the cockpit told THE WHISTLER that Abubakar was left with about N1.8m in outstanding training costs, a sum he could not raise to continue his programme.
Since 2019, he has reportedly approached the Kebbi State Scholarship Board seeking assistance to complete his training, but the support needed to return to the cockpit has not materialised.
With his aviation career on hold, Abubakar returned to Kebbi and took up commercial motorcycle riding to earn a living.
His story reflects how the interruption of financial support can derail professional training even after a beneficiary has completed substantial stages of an expensive programme.
For Abubakar, the ambition of becoming a pilot remains tied to the completion of the training he was unable to finish.
But for now, the cockpit has been replaced by the streets, where he rides an Okada to make ends meet.
