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Spotlight on some African women in aviation, maritime industry
As the advocacies intensify, a lot more women continue to prove their mettle in various sectors, giving men a run for their money. In this edition, The Spectator explores the aviation and maritime industry to tell the stories of four African women who did not settle for less in advancing their chosen career.
Ms Miracle Izuchukwu
This licensed Commercial Pilot from Nigeria is part of the seven percent females and one per cent black female pilots in the world.
She obtained her Commercial Pilot Licence from the Federal Aviation Administration, USA, on May 9, 2022 and holds Private Pilot and Instrument Rated Pilot Licences from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“I grew up in a society that did not encourage young girls to dream big, career-wise. I remember watching lots of TED Talks to give myself more insights on possible careers that might interest me…to no avail,” she said.
In 2019, she had an encounter with an airline pilot while working as a Customer Service Representative which opened her eyes to the possibility of becoming a pilot.
“When I told my father I was considering becoming a professional Pilot, he said if he gets on a plane and sees a woman as the Pilot, he would get off the plane.”
In spite of the pain and confusion she felt following her father’s response, she did not give up on her ambition. Today, she is a Flight Attendant at American Airlines and working to build her flying hours in an effort to achieve her next goal of flying big planes. “If it’s truly something you want to do, you need to create it for yourself. In a world that wants us to whisper, I choose to shout,” she said.
Ms Elizabeth Marami
At age 25, she successfully passed the International Unlimited 2nd Mate Licence Examination in 2014, making her the first female Marine Pilot in Kenya.
She is a First Officer at Celebrity Cruises Incorporated and Founder of ‘Against the Tide’, an online platform whose mission is to inspire and advocate Sustainable Development Goal ‘5’in the seafaring sector by sharing stories of female seafarers across the globe.
Marami holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Nautical Science from Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Egypt, a Certificate in Maritime Studies from Hochschule Bremen in Germany and currently pursuing an MBA in Operations Management from the University of Nairobi.
“Working in a male-dominated industry has had its challenges, including earning the respect of senior management as a female professional. I have had those who have accepted me, helped me become better, and there have been some rejections that stung so hard I almost gave up, but overall I would say I have certainly grown a thick skin,” she said.
Captain Londy Ngcobo
She is Africa’s first female Dredge Master and Global Ship Navigator; making waves on land as a Maritime Advocate, Businesswoman, Global Speaker and Conference Facilitator.
She is a former Maritime Compliance Manager of Transnet National Ports Authority, Founder of Global Maritime Youth and Chief Executive of Womaritime Experts, a consulting firm in the shipping industry.
Nicknamed “The Blackmermaid,” Captain Londy Ngcobo is passionate about unlocking Africa’s Ocean Economy. With over 14 years of experience in the Maritime industry, her background includes Maritime Studies and International Merchant shipping.
As a mother and wife, she is passionate about women and youth empowerment. Her experience has equipped her with the ability to focus on providing sustainable tools for women to thrive.
Ms Chipo Gatsi
Her desire to fly was ignited in her primary school days when she got an opportunity to get into the flight deck of a plane, when flying to Cape Town with her family. After completing her Advanced levels in 2007, she began to do something about her desire to fly. In 2008, she enrolled with a flying academy in South Africa.
In 2009, she completed her Professional Pilot Course at Port Elizabeth, and successfully obtained a South African Commercial Pilot Licence with Multi-engine & Instrument ratings. She immediately returned home (Zimbabwe) to convert her licence under the Zimbabwean Air Laws and Standards.
In 2010, at age 20, she joined Air Zimbabwe as a First Officer and went on to enjoy over a thousand hours of flying the Airline’s regional and domestic routes before joining Fastjet.
Driven by her desire to fly, Chipo did not fall victim to the limitations society places on millennials and women in particular where career choices are concerned.
“Believe it or not, there are people who still have reservations about a young black woman being a good pilot. I have learnt to go the extra mile and really push myself. Once you work on your competence, some of the negative stereotypes fall away.
“My focus is to continually get better at what I do and I cannot say it has not been paying off,” she said.
By Spectator Reporter
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
