The grand patron of Nigerian professional pilots (NPP), Nogie Meggison has called on the Federal Government to put in place a proactive policy that will address the projected 500 Nigerian licensed pilots that are unemployed.

He said the number of unemployed pilots is increasing from the current 200 to an astronomical number when the over 100 student pilots sent to Jordan by the Kano State government would graduate later this year.

This is in addition to the 52 youths trained under the Federal Government Amnesty programme as well as the fresh batch of 100 graduating from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology ( NCAT), and the 40 from International Aviation College ( IAC), in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Meggison said unless something fast is done, such development constitutes a disincentive to the growth and development of the Nigerian aviation industry.

He said well over 400 Nigerian licensed aircraft engineers are also out of job, urging the Federal Government to put in place an employment policy that would ensure these aviation professionals are engaged by both indigenous and foreign carriers operating in the country.

Meggison said that though some domestic carriers have done well and are engaging some of the pilots, there still room for improvement.

He said an enabling policy that would check the influx of foreign pilots and engineers by foreign carriers is urgently needed.