Caverton Group Pushes Local Training, Tech as Military Delegation Visits Lagos Hub

Caverton Offshore Support Group has underscored its drive for local training and advanced aviation technology as a delegation of senior military officers from the Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) Course 10, 2026, visited its Lagos aviation hub.

The visit, which took place at the Caverton Aviation Training Centre located near the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), showcased the company’s growing role in pilot training, aircraft maintenance, drone technology, and regional logistics support.

Speaking on Tuesday during the visit, the company stressed its willingness to partner with the Nigerian Army and other important military, civil and private organisations on the latest innovation in aviation and technology.

Welcoming the delegation of senior officers including officers from South Africa and Cameroon, the company’s chief operating officer, Rotimi Makanjuola, provided a detailed presentation of the company’s operations, highlighting its growing role as a leading indigenous aviation and offshore logistics provider in West Africa.

According to him, the importance of the facility located nearby the international wing of the MMIA, Lagos, is that the simulators help in the training of pilots being prepared to man aircraft and helicopters.

“Training is important and nothing beats having a facility on ground for the training of pilots. Everybody likes to travel but we have to think of the country first and with this simulator here, obviously, with the aircraft and helicopters coming in already, you need pilots and you also need to have those that will be back-ups. You can imagine having to send all those people out to different places around the world for their training, the cost, the foreign exchange losses and the man hours. This helps to save a lot of time, a lot of money, and it also builds our capacity as a country.”

Speaking about the challenges the company faces in Nigeria, Makanjuola said in certain cases, what Nigeria requires are not laws but the implementation of existing laws and policies.

The senior Army officers visited Caverton Aviation Training Center (Flight Simulator Center), the only certified simulator centre in Africa with AW139 Simulator, AW109 Simulator as well as the Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) unit, among others.

According to the COO, countries like Ivory Coast, Mozambique and Republic of Benin have worked with Caverton in the past while the economy’s base in Cameroon has been operational for over 10 years. Officials who acted as tour guides added that the company has had clients from far and near, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, other African countries including Senegal and even India.

While emphasising the company’s focus beyond commercial aviation services, Makanjuola said Caverton is positioned as a critical player in national capacity building, particularly in aircraft maintenance, pilot training, and emerging aviation technologies. He noted that with Caverton Helicopters and Caverton Marine as subsidiaries, the ISO-certified company is a provider of aviation and marine logistics services to the oil and gas industry and offers helicopter charter, maintenance services and marine services to multinational companies across Sub-Saharan Africa.

One of the highlights of the presentation was a showcase of the MRO capabilities located within the free trade zone. According to Makanjuola, the facility provides aircraft maintenance services not only for Nigeria but also for several countries across the West African region and the strategic location allows operators to bring aircraft into the zone for maintenance and depart without incurring import duties on parts, making it an attractive hub for regional aviation support.

The COO cited several operational interventions that illustrate Caverton’s technical capabilities. In one instance, the company successfully resuscitated an aircraft that had been grounded for nearly eight years with barely forty flight hours recorded. The aircraft was originally slated for scrapping before Caverton intervened through the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to restore it to full serviceability.
In another case, the company provided emergency technical support to an aircraft en route from Mozambique to Turkey after it developed a fault mid-journey. Such interventions, he noted, reflect Caverton’s ability to respond rapidly to operational aviation challenges across the continent.
Equally significant is Caverton’s growing footprint in regional operations.

The company has maintained aviation operations in Cameroon for more than a decade, particularly in pipeline surveillance and related security services.

The most strategic investment highlighted during the visit was Caverton’s commitment to training and human capacity development. Makanjuola said the simulator enables pilots to undertake mandatory training, emergency scenario simulations, and instrument rating exercises locally, with the investment representing a significant shift in Nigeria’s aviation training ecosystem.

Beyond aviation, the company is also exploring technological innovation through its drone and unmanned aerial systems initiative. Under its technology subsidiary, Caverton has begun deploying agricultural drones for crop monitoring, fertiliser distribution, and crop spraying. Working in partnership with National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the company has assembled several drones locally and trained engineers to operate them.

One particularly noteworthy initiative is a programme that trained ten female engineers to assemble and operate agricultural drones from scratch. The initiative, implemented at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Kaduna, which demonstrates how technology can be deployed not only for agricultural efficiency but also for gender inclusion and technical skills development.

Addressing the delegation, Brigadier-General Olakunle Olayinka, emphasised that the Army War College’s study tours are designed to expose senior military officers to strategic sectors of the national economy. According to him, engagements with companies like Caverton provide participants with valuable insights into how private sector innovation contributes to national development and operational capability.

Similarly, Brigadier-General Bala Fakandu highlighted the importance of collaboration between military institutions and indigenous industries. He noted that understanding the capabilities of local aviation operators is particularly relevant in an era where national security increasingly intersects with technological infrastructure, logistics support, and rapid response capabilities.

The visit also included guided tours of Caverton’s operational facilities, including its training centre, flight operations centre, and unmanned aerial vehicle laboratory. Participants were exposed to simulation technologies, aircraft maintenance procedures, and drone innovations designed to support agriculture and other sectors.

At a broader level, the engagement reflects an emerging strategic lesson for Nigeria, regarding sustainable national development and the requirement of closer alignment between the military, government institutions, and indigenous private sector innovators. For the Army War College participants, the visit provided a practical demonstration of how indigenous innovation can strengthen Nigeria’s strategic autonomy in critical sectors.