(By John AdamsMINNA)
Niger state has produced its first female Pilot/Engineer 40 years after the creation of the state.
The 23 years old Fatima Mfe Garba graduated from the University of Hertfordshire in London with a first class degree in Aerospace Systems Engineering with Pilot studies.
Fatima, who was full of gratitude to the Federal Government and the Niger state Government for her sponsorship, told the Daily Sun in an exclusive interview in Minna that flying airplanes has always been her childhood dream.
“Being a pilot has been my original goal from childhood. I have always had it in mind that I want to fly the plane one day, so I am very happy that I have been able to realize the dream.
“Again, I realized that it’s good I join it with engineering so that I can be able to fly and equally repair the plane and that makes the task very challenging because this is a male-dominated field of study.
“But I thank God I was able to cope, and it was amazing the first day I flew the plane. It was a dream I had since when I was 8 years old,” she said.
Fatima, of Niger and Benue extraction (her father a Muslim from Niger state, and her mother a Christian from Benue state) said her ultimate goal is to finish her Masters degree in Aerospace Systems Engineering with Pilot Studies which she already has admission for at the same U.K university.
“After my masters degree, for which I already have the admission, I want to come back to Nigeria and contribute my quota to the Nigerian aviation industry because the federal government and my state government contributed immensely to this achievement.”