The oil and gas industry is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy, providing thousands of direct and indirect jobs and contributing substantially to the nation’s foreign reserves.

By Olusegun Adeniyi

On Tuesday, the French Minister for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Mr Franck Riester was in Lagos for the unveiling of the Full Flight Simulator at the Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) and training facility of Caverton Helicopters. With that, the Thales Reality H full-flight simulator, regarded as one of the most advanced commercial helicopter simulators in the world, is now operational at the company’s Ikeja base. The first Level D full flight simulator in Africa allows pilots to train in complete safety for a variety of complex situations, including adverse weather conditions, helicopter failures and such other emergencies that could occur during flight operations. Besides, it will not only provide the needed services to helicopters that operate in Nigeria, it will also save our country over $500 million foreign exchange in maintenance, training and spares annually.

The toll-free status of the exotic Lagos Lekki toll gate one year after the #EndSARS social unrest that erupted in 2020 speaks volume of feats a society can accomplish in unison.