Teriba:FG’s policy opportunity for women to aspire higher in aviation

• Aviation not just a career but a calling-Udoh

The Lagos Regional Manager of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Bukola Teriba, has urged women in the aviation industry to take advantage of the federal government’s favourable policy toward women in the sector to aim for greater heights in their various careers.

Teriba affirmed that Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has created opportunities for Nigerian women to showcase their capabilities and professionalism, noting that many women now hold managerial positions across agencies under the Ministry of Aviation.

The NCAA Lagos Regional Manager spoke after receiving “The Woman of the Day” Award from the Women in Aviation (WAI) at the 2025 award night in Lagos, where she said, “President Tinubu’s government has given women more leadership opportunities in the aviation sector.

Women, she said, are taking up leadership positions in the sector, stressing that they must be encouraged to do so and that they must continue to showcase their capabilities as women.

She added that the government was empowering women in all fields, noting that they are not left behind in the industry, and hinted that the situation shows that what men can do, women are doing better, judging by the performance of our women holding key positions in the industry.

Teriba affirmed that WIA International is not simply an organisation,  but a movement of momentum, a force that advances women across every career, every field, and every layer of this great industry.

“It is a platform that does not merely applaud accomplishments, it multiplies them. We exist to encourage, mentor, empower, and inspire our members to aspire to the commanding heights of aviation. Our mission is daring and deliberate — to empower women and men in Nigeria to achieve possibilities they once thought unimaginable, through technology, leadership, and economic transformation.”

“Aviation itself teaches something profound: no aircraft defies gravity alone. It rises because of alignment, precision, discipline, and trust, and that is who we are. We do not exclude, we elevate, we do not wait for opportunity — we engineer it, we connect, we engage, we inspire.”

While urging women seize opportunities in the sector, she affirmed that “when women rise together with purpose and preparation, the industry does more than grow, it evolves” adding that “to every young girl looking at the skies and wondering if there is a place for her, we are the Answer, the sky is not our limit, it is our runway.”

Guest Speaker at the event and former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nnamdi Udoh, challenged women in the sector to adopt a balanced work-life.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Work–Life Balance for Professional Women in Aviation’, the ex-NAMA boss said, “Aviation is not just a career. It is a calling. It demands precision, discipline, resilience, and sacrifices and says something as critical to safety and sustainability as regulations and procedures is a well thought out work–life balance.”

According to him, “For professional women in aviation, work–life balance is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Women who keep the aviation industry flying—women who manage aircraft, airports, air traffic, safety systems, policies, finances, crews, and operations, often work under immense pressure and unforgiving timelines.”

He said, “Our industry operates 24 hours a day, across time zones, weekends, holidays, and emergencies. Many of us juggle shift work, irregular schedules, long duty hours, constant recertification, and high-stakes decision-making—while also carrying responsibilities at home, in our communities, and within ourselves”

“As women in aviation, we must advocate not only for safety in the air, but for sustainability on the ground. We must mentor younger women to pursue success without burnout. We must challenge workplace cultures that glorify overwork and instead promote performance with purpose.”

On her part, the President of Women in Aviation International Nigeria, Mrs Rejoice Ndudinachi, affirmed that the WAI idea and vision for the country’s women have taken root.

She said the vision has been championed with courage as the group determined that the industry’s skies could be more inclusive, more diverse, and more representative of women’s talent.

She added, “While today is a celebration of our past and present, it is also a call to the future. We must continue to prepare, empower, and position ourselves not only to participate—but to lead. We must keep inspiring the next generation of girls to look up at the sky and see opportunity, not limitation.”

The WIA Nigeria National President said, “This milestone is also about legacy. It’s about the women who paved the way before us, like Capt Chinyere Kalu, and the young girls watching us now—girls who will see aviation not as a barrier, but as a possibility.

Wole Shadare