Nigerian delegation visits Columbus Published Aug. 31, 2015 By Sonic Johnson 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The Nigerian air force Director of Training, Air Vice Marshal Christopher Emeka Okoye and the Nigerian Embassy Naval and Air Attaché Air Commodore Muhammad Aminu Yakubu visited the 14th Flying Training Wing Aug. 23 and 24. The delegation visited Columbus Air Force Base to check in on the Nigerian air force student, Lieutenant Mnanna Peter, currently in pilot training here. They also spoke with the commanders and instructors involved in Peters' training. "We are happy with the partnership with the U.S. Air Force in training our officers not only here with the 14th Flying Training Wing, but in several other programs like Air Command and Staff College and Air War college in addition to the flying training," Okoye said. "It helps us expand our capacity in training and we continue to learn from our international training partners." Arriving from San Antonio, the delegation planned to visit Vance AFB, Oklahoma, after Columbus. There are Nigerian air force members in pilot training at all three Specialized Undergraduate Pilot training bases, as well as pilots, navigators, flight engineers and loadmasters in C-130 training at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. The Nigeria air force pilot training program is similar to the U.S. Air Force's in that it has a primary phase lasting about six months. At this point of the six-month training, the helicopter pilots go into a separate training track at another base. Additionally, the pilots head on to the fixed wing track at another base which has a tracking program for transport and fighter, lasting approximately 18 months. Each class begins with about 30 pilot candidates from their academy with a target of 10 pilots to rotor wing and 20 to continue in the fixed wing tracks. This training is augmented with students in training in the U.S., United Kingdom and Pakistan. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, became an independent country in 1960, gaining its independence from the United Kingdom. English remains the official language of Nigeria.