Cutting the deficit in technical staffing in Equatorial Guinea

Following the request tabled by the country’s national Authorities, a mission of high-level experts from ASECNA schools, led by Messrs. Gilbert Bondo, Director of the Regional School of Fire Prevention (ERSI) based in Douala (Cameroon), and Baba Ouinténi OUATTARA, Head of Department of Education and Schooling of the African School of Meteorology and Civil Aviation, based in Niamey (Niger), paid a visit to Equatorial Guinea from 25 March to 5 April 2016.

The general objective of the mission was to consider how to offset the important decrease in the national technical staffing.
The specific objectives were:

• Gathering information about the educational system in Guinea, assessing and comparing the system in question with the francophone ASECNA member States’ one in order to undertake a survey aiming at adapting entry examinations or tests in ASECNA schools to those of the Equatorial Guinea educational system.
• Assessing, based on pedagogical and teaching opportunities, the possibility to organize in-service trainings at local level in collaboration with the National School of Civil Aviation of Mongomeyen (ENAC-M) and thereby forging the basis of such a cooperation;
• Visiting the ASECNA-managed airports in Equatorial Guinea to understand the field specificities;
• Organizing sensitization sessions in Malabo and Bata for students from different schools and universities.

As regards the latter, three sensitization activities were carried out; two in Malabo (at the Engineering Faculty and Educational Sciences Faculty) and one was held at the Engineering Faculty of Bata. Each event recorded an average participation of 120 students. During the sessions’ presentations, the different ASECNA schools, specializations and conditions of access to the schools were explained to the students.

The opportunity was also taken to share with the students the different professions of aviation. The purpose of the communication exercise was to enable the participants to well understand the world of aviation and to trigger any interest from them relative to the field of aviation.

During the stay, the mission also met with M. Fausto Abeso Fuma, Minister of Civil Aviation, Mister Leandro Miko Angüe, Director General of the National Aeronautical Authority of Equatorial Guinea (AAGE), Mr. Filiberto Ntutumu, Vice-chancellor of Malabo University, and Engelberto Ondo Ebere, Director of academic affairs of Malabo University and Ambrosio Abeso Nsue, Director of National School Civil Aviation of Mongomoyen (ENAC-M).

The mission received the support of Mrs Claire-Josette Obame-Edou, Director of ASECNA Technical Operations for the working meeting with the managers of ENAC-M and the sensitization meeting held at Bata University.

Mrs Obame-Edou as well as the experts’ team also visited the technical facilities of Mongomoyen and Bata airports, especially the Fire Control brigades, the central warehouse and the power plant. They were guided by Mr. Esono Obama Fortunato, Assistant Director General in charge of National Aeronautical Activities of Equatorial Guinea.

At the completion of the mission a series of conclusions and recommendations were formulated by the ASECNA team of experts, which were to be submitted to the National Aeronautical Authorities of Equatorial Guinea. The document included exchanges and discussions held with officials met, inputs from working sessions with the Malabo University authorities and included as well brief notes resulting from the exploitation of the educational programmes made available to the team.