The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has described the death of the immediate past Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Usman Shuiabu Mukhtar, as a monumental loss to the aviation industry.
Reacting to the death which occurred early Wednesday morning, Sirika said that although death is a journey on which everyone must embark at his own appointed time, Usman’s own came at a time the industry needed all capable hands to be on deck to reposition it, considering the depth to which it had descended as a result of the global pandemic.
He remarked that Captain Muhtar Usman would be remembered for his contributions to the sector as a pilot, Air accident investigator, industry regulator spanning his time at the defunct Nigeria Airways, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and most recently, at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
He commiserates with the aviation family on the loss of a thoroughbred professional who distinguished himself in his chosen field, the family he has left behind and prays for the repose of his soul.
The Immediate past Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and a former Commissioner Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) died in the early hours of Wednesday, December 2, 2020.
He died in Abuja due to complications from diabetes as announced this morning by close sources.
Capt. Mukhtar was first appointed the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) in 2011 and in October, 2014 he was again appointed Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) where he served for five years before reappointment for second tenure of five years.
He left office in October 2019.
Captain Mukhtar was born on December 5, 1956, in the famous city of Zaria, in Kaduna State.
He started his elementary education at Government Secondary Technical School, Soba and finished in 1972.
In 1973, he proceeded to Government Technical College where he passed out in 1975 after obtaining Federal Craft Training Certificate.
Usman got admission to Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria, in 1975 to pursue a course in Aero Electronics and Telecommunication where he obtained a Diploma certificate.
He also acquired various other professional education which are as follows –
- City and Guilds, Radio, TV, Electronics (1977)
- Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine and Instrument ratings, Burnside – Ott Aviation Training Centre, Miami USA,(1977)
- B – 727 Flight Engineers’ rating, Miami, USA, (1980)
- Flying Instructors’ rating, Oxford Air Training School, UK,1982
- Airline Transport Pilot License, New York, USA,1992
- Aircraft Accident Investigation, USA,(2006)
- Safety Oversight Inspectors’ course, Singapore,(2007)
- International Society of Air Safety Investigators’ Seminar, Singapore,(2007)
- Helicopter Accident Investigation, USC, USA,(2007)
- ICAO Organised Accident Investigation Seminar, Nairobi, Kenya,(2008)
- Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management Course (CNS/ATM), PAN AM Academy, Miami, USA,(2008)
- Aircraft Accident Investigation Course,Cranfield University (2009).
- Airport Operations Course, Singapore (2009),
- ICAO Course on ECCAIRES database and exchange (2010)
- Safety Management System Course, SCSI, USA, (2010)
During his career, he worked as a Flying Instructor at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria from 1981 – 1985.
He proceeded to the Nigeria Airways Ltd, Lagos between 1985 – 2004 where among other assignments he flew the B 737 Aircraft. As a Fleet Captain’s Assistant, he assisted in fleet technical and operational administration.
