Meet Nigeria’s youngest Hausa-Fulani female commercial pilot, Fatima Abba Gwadabe, from Kano state, She is just 22 years Old.
In order to reach her goal and become a top-ranked pilot, the Muslim woman has completed piloting Programs at Mid East Aviation Academy Jordan Last Year. She was among 100 of students who were sponsored by Kano Kwankwasiyya Government to study piloting at the Academy.
But it would be noted that Fatima hasn’t become a female pioneer in this difficult and challenging profession.
Some months ago all media reports exploded with the news about Nigeria’s first female helicopter captain, Abimbola Jayeola (Captain AB), emerged and made history that day.
Moreover, a female pilot has recently appeared in Katsina state. Ruqayya Suleiman was in the group of 15 other pilots trained in South Africa under a full Petroleum Trust Development Fund scholarship as international-certified commercial pilots.
The young woman not only got a unique profession, but managed to break the cultural barrier by acquiring a higher education which is quite unusual for girls from her area.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recognized Fatima Abba Gwadabe with inclusion in the prestigious FAA Airmen Certification Database.
The database, which appears on the agency’s website at www.faa.gov, names Gwadabe and other certified pilots who have met or exceeded the high educational, licensing and medical standards established by the FAA.
Pilot certification standards have evolved over time in an attempt to reduce pilot errors that lead to fatal crashes. FAA standards, which are set in consultation with the aviation industry and the public, are among the highest in the world.
Transportation safety experts strongly recommend against flying with an uncertified pilot. FAA pilot certification can be the difference between a safe flight and one that ends in tragedy.