Nigerian College of Aviation Technology

The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna State, is Nigeria's national aviation training college, established in 1964 and operating its own aerodrome and six co-located training schools. Working within the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority framework and holding international recognition including ICAO programme membership and AABI accreditation, it has trained generations of pilots, engineers and air traffic controllers for Nigeria and the wider region.

Training at Nigerian College of Aviation Technology

NCAT's Flying School delivers ab-initio training from the private pilot licence through its Standard Pilot Course to commercial licence level with instrument and multi-engine ratings, flown on a fleet that includes Socata TB9 Tampico and TB20 Trinidad singles, Beechcraft Baron twins and a TBM 850. As the country's principal state pilot training institution it supplies cockpit crew to Nigerian carriers and government agencies, a role it has played for six decades, although placement depends on each airline's own recruitment rather than a formal cadet pipeline.

Admission to the pilot courses requires a minimum of five credits including English, Mathematics and Physics, a minimum age of 17 and an NCAA medical, with places at the college keenly contested given its subsidised national role. Beyond entry, Nigerian and Gulf carriers recruiting NCAT graduates screen applicants with computer-based aptitude and psychometric testing, so treating assessment practice as part of the training journey improves the odds at every stage.