All female air traffic control personnel take over airports

On October 20, Nigeria became the first country in the world to have an all-female Air Traffic Control (ATC) Crew in charge of all of its control units across the country, including Area, Approach, and Terminal Control, in celebration of the annual World Air Traffic Controllers Day.

Senior female Controllers came up with the idea, and Mrs. Hauwa Danboyi, Nigeria’s first female Controller, championed it to upper management, as reported by The Nation.

Mrs. Kate Nnanna-Ibemgbo, Director General of Air Traffic Management at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), presided over the Planning Committee that organised the historic gathering.

The purpose of the event was to recognise the contributions of women in the ATC field and to encourage more women to enter the field.

Mrs. Nnanna-Ibemgbo explained that they decided to band together because they knew doing so would help spread the word about what ATC stands for in Nigeria. We also considered demonstrating diversity in the field. That’s why the male and female equivalents work so well together.

To put our solidarity into action, today teams up all throughout the country are composed entirely of women. As a group, we decided it would be prudent to take action that would demonstrate the general course of events in different regions.

“This day makes me very proud because when I joined ATC in 1998, we were six, and now we are almost fifty,” said Mrs. Doris Ekeada, DGM, Technical Evaluation and Manpower Development (NAMA). That we now have enough women in positions of power across the country is a source of great pride for me. This demonstrates that women are capable of doing the same work as men.

Because of the difficulties and pressures of the job, “ATC” is overwhelmingly a male-dominated field. Therefore, we should honour ourselves for succeeding in this field despite our numerous other obligations.

To the next generation, I say, “The sky is just the beginning; there is nothing you cannot achieve. The field of ATC is one of considerable honour.

Mrs. Atinuke Stanley-Kafu, a First Officer of Air Peace, spoke on the special significance of the occasion. It’s just a sign of the times, and I find that extremely encouraging. Hearing another woman doing her thing and doing it wonderfully is inspiring, even on days when only one or two women are on the air. Furthermore, I believe this is a chance for new women entering the aviation business to be inspired, just as I have been, by the women who came before them. “Today is a truly fantastic day for everyone,” she gushed.

When the festivities came to a close, the women vowed to continue serving as role models for younger women and girls, not just in aviation but in other fields.