News
Pioneer Airlines Secures NCAA Certification, Set to Connect Southern Nigeria Through Port Harcourt, Yenagoa
Pioneer Airlines Secures NCAA Certification, Set to Connect Southern Nigeria Through Port Harcourt, Yenagoa
By: Michael Mike
An emotional moment unfolded on Wednesday as the management of Pioneer Airlines officially received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC), with the airline’s leadership describing the milestone as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream and a major breakthrough for regional air connectivity in Southern Nigeria.
Speaking shortly after receiving the certification from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the airline’s promoter and Managing Director, Capt Henry Ungbuku expressed deep appreciation to the NCAA, his team, and the Bayelsa State Government for supporting the rigorous certification process.
Overcome with emotion, he revealed that the journey had come with enormous pressure and expectations, particularly from the Bayelsa State Government, which owns the airline’s aircraft assets.
“I’m so excited because a dream as a child has become a reality today,” he said.
According to him, the NCAA played a crucial supportive role throughout the certification process by guiding the airline on regulatory compliance and operational standards.
“They were there to point us in the right direction — do it this way, this is how it’s supposed to be done. And as obedient operators, we followed the process,” he stated.
The airline boss, a former commercial pilot with Aero Contractors, stressed that Pioneer Airlines would place safety above every other consideration.
“Aero Contractors was known for safety and Pioneer Airlines is 100 per cent in that line. No compromise. I always ask myself, what if I’m the pilot flying that aircraft? We will never cut corners,” he said.
He credited the airline’s progress to teamwork and the guidance of aviation veteran Captain Crosby, whom he described as a father figure to the airline.

He also thanked Bayelsa State Governor for believing in the project and supporting the airline through the certification process.
“The NCAA could easily have told His Excellency that these people do not know what they are doing, but today everyone is excited because we did something right,” he added.
The airline operator further disclosed that Pioneer Airlines completed its certification process in just four and a half months — significantly faster than the industry average of between eight months and two years.firstly
According to him, the airline’s immediate focus is to improve connectivity across Southern Nigeria by operating from Port Harcourt and Yenagoa as strategic hubs.
“We are Pioneer because we are the first to fly out of Port Harcourt and Yenagoa as bases connecting the entire South together,” he explained.
Under the planned route structure, passengers would be able to travel directly between southern cities such as Calabar, Warri, Benin, Enugu, Yenagoa, and other destinations without first transiting through Abuja or Lagos.
“So you don’t need to go to Lagos or Abuja before connecting to another southern state. You can connect directly within the South,” he said.
Although the airline initially applied for non-scheduled operations because it operated only two aircraft, the airline management disclosed that recent regulatory changes by the NCAA reduced the aircraft requirement for scheduled operations from six aircraft to two.
The development, according to the airline, now allows Pioneer Airlines to immediately begin the process of securing approval for full scheduled commercial operations.
“From tomorrow, we are applying for scheduled operations. Very soon people will be able to go on our website and book flights across Southern Nigeria,” he stated.
The airline also clarified its relationship with the Bayelsa State Government, explaining that while the state owns the aircraft, Pioneer Airlines operates as a private airline managing the assets under a dry lease arrangement.
“Bayelsa State Government owns the aircraft and leases them to Pioneer Airlines. We manage the aircraft and generate revenue for the state through lease payments,” the airline boss explained.
He emphasised that Pioneer Airlines is not a state-owned carrier but a private airline partnering with the government to manage and operate the aircraft commercially.
The certification marks a major step for regional aviation development in the Niger Delta and Southern Nigeria, with industry observers saying the airline could significantly improve direct inter-state connectivity and reduce dependence on Lagos and Abuja as transit hubs.
Pioneer Airlines Secures NCAA Certification, Set to Connect Southern Nigeria Through Port Harcourt, Yenagoa
News
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
By Aisha Gambo
The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) has commended the Kaduna State Executive Council for approving the Kaduna State Life Skills Policy and the State Policy on Gender in Education (SPGE 2026–2030).
The Executive Director of the organisation, Habiba Mohammed, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.
She said the approval marked a transition from donor-supported, time-bound interventions to a sustainable, government-led framework for delivering life skills education and promoting gender equity in schools.
According to her, the Life Skills Policy will equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to succeed in education, employment and life, while the Gender in Education Policy providzbves a framework to promote equity, inclusion, participation, retention, completion and improved learning outcomes.
“The approval moves life skills and gender equity from the margins of the classroom into the core of Kaduna State’s education system,” she said.
Mohammed said CGE contributed to the development and validation of the policies through its system-strengthening project supported by Co-Impact, OASIS Initiative and the Malala Fund, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education.
She said the policies built on more than 18 years of the organisation’s Safe Space model, which independent evaluations showed had helped reduce child marriage, increase school enrolment and delay early marriage.
According to her, the AGILE programme in Kaduna has reached more than 127,319 girls and 6,250 boys between the ages of 14 and 18, while over 1,400 female and male teachers have been trained as mentors.
She added that institutionalising the model through public policy would ensure that life skills education became a permanent component of the state’s education system.
Mohammed said the policies would address barriers to school access, retention and completion, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners.
She added that they would also institutionalise life skills as a co-curricular programme, strengthen evidence-based decision-making across the state’s 23 local government areas and guarantee continuity beyond donor-funded programmes.
The executive director commended Gov. Uba Sani for providing the leadership that made the policy approval possible.
She also appreciated the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, the AGILE State Project Implementation Unit, the World Bank and other stakeholders for their contributions to the process.
Mohammed reaffirmed CGE’s commitment to supporting the Kaduna State Government with technical assistance during the implementation phase, including teacher training, gender-responsive education sector budgeting and monitoring.
She said the ultimate goal was to ensure that every girl and boy in Kaduna State had the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
News
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
By: Zagazola Makama
Six fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed and seven others seriously wounded during a failed attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Logomani in Borno State, credible intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists launched the attack on the military position in the early hours of July 7 but suffered significant casualties after troops mounted a fierce resistance.
According to the intelligence assessment, the attackers had assembled at Garal before advancing on the military base.
Following the failed assault, surviving insurgents were reportedly seen regrouping at Chukun Gudu, where they buried six of their fighters killed during the encounter.
Among those reportedly buried was a senior fighter identified as Munzir, also known as Ba Alayi, who was said to be an indigene of Wulgo.
The development comes as troops of Operation HADIN KAI continue sustained clearance operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and disrupting insurgents’ logistics and mobility across the Lake Chad region.
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Health
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
By: Zagazola Makama
A cholera outbreak has reportedly claimed the lives of nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist stronghold in Borno State, intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the outbreak had spread through the group’s enclaves, highlighting deteriorating sanitary conditions and limited access to medical care within the insurgents’ camps.
According to the intelligence, two additional ISWAP fighters infected with the disease were allegedly executed by fellow terrorists after attempts to manage their condition at Kimba village proved unsuccessful.
The sources said the development pointed to the worsening health conditions within the terrorist hideouts, where sustained military pressure has disrupted logistics, including access to medicines and treatment facilities.
The sources added that commanders had also been urged to intensify efforts to intercept medical supplies and pharmaceuticals intended for terrorist camps in order to further degrade ISWAP’s treatment capability and operational resilience.
The reported outbreak comes amid sustained offensives by troops of Operation HADIN KAI, who continue to target terrorist enclaves and logistics networks across the Lake Chad region in a bid to degrade the insurgents’ fighting capacity.
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
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