How to become an airline pilot in Nigeria.

Personally i have always wanted to be a pilot since my 1st cockpit experience. I remember vividly when i was 5yrs i was really little.  I was at the airport (Murtala Mohammed Airport 2) the current new local. We were at the then Nigerian Airways office and i remember begging my dad that i wanted getting into one of the airplanes, he finally got a lady i remember her in a uniform like a flight attendant she took me around the airplane explaining the basics. I didn't know what she talking about and as a kid i was quite playful and restless. I remember the last place we entered was the cockpit. As i stepped in "my gosh" i was greeted by multiple buttons, dials and gauges, it seemed endless due to the nature of the cockpit. Given my knowledge now know it was a classic but i can't remember exactly what type of airplane it was. She put me on the captain's seat and for the first time i was relaxed and was listening.
The second cockpit experience i had, was a school excursion, a brief visit to the same airport, i was 7 or 8yrs then and we were taken around the airport i remember seeing air-force jets, control tower, helicopters, airplanes of different sizes. We were entertained with kiddies drinks and cookies in a Nigerian Airways plane that was undergoing maintenance in one of the company Hangers, we entered the cockpit in groups and i saw my teacher seating on the right seat playing with the control column. I'm sure he had no idea what he was doing. Lolz! We got back to class and my teacher had the same look i had the 1st time i entered a cockpit, he kept on telling and asking us at the same questions. "Did you'll see the buttons in that thing?" He said, "i wonder how they press it all at once." Hehehehe.
Since then i made up my mind to become a pilot i guess earlier i was too little to make up my mind on what i wanted to become.
Well I'm not a pilot yet but I'm close, i have since pursued the line of aviation ever since, i have met people who say i get emotional when i talk about planes, well can't help it, I'm in-love.*wink*. I have read aviation related books, stories, watched movies and documentaries, i have even taken the time to read pilot operating manuals/handbook for Boeing 737 Classics, Boeing 737NG and my favorite aircraft, The Boeing 777. Some people think I'm already a pilot (i wish) because of how much i know and how well informed i am about aviation.
 Let me share what i know, about how, as a Nigerian you can become a pilot. Just so you all know this information is based on my personal opinion and research.
Well being a pilot is fun and to be honest is not the kind of job you just wake up and say, yes i wanna fly planes. Well i think you have to be more determined than that, and really work towards it. If you honestly need or want something you have got to go for it no matter the barrier or obstacles at the end of the day its all about reaching that mark. Inspire yourself by reading stories like that of Adebule Imoleayo the youngest commercial female pilot in Nigeria flying for Aerocontractors or Captain Olumide Ayoola flying for KLM UK one of the most recognised international airlines in the world. They persevered and almost gave-up hope on flying because of how difficult it was but today they have stories to tell.

                                                            Arik air B737NG

Step 1
Being a pilot is not difficult, all you need is five o' level credits in science related courses including Maths, English, physics and 2 other courses. I would advice a good knowledge geography.
If you have a degree it also helps and also a big plus and boost to your career, you are definitely eligible to apply for flight school. Lastly a valid class one student medical certificate.
Step 2
Apply to a flight school. There are two of them in Nigeria:
Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria. NCAT, and
International Aviation College, Ilorin IAC.
You might be called up for an interview or exam and you would be required to know the basic principles of flight, or how an airplane flies, brush-up your maths and physics. Very important.
Step 3
Admission: when given admission the rest is up to you, read! read! read and work hard to maintain a good grade. Don't get carried away. Coming out top of your class increases your chances of getting a job with an airline quicker.
Well that's all it takes.

Licences & Ratings.
Private pilots licence PPL,
Commercial pilots licence CPL,
Certified Flight Instructors Licence CFI, and
Air Transport Pilots License ATPL, Others are Instrument Rating, Night Rating and Multi-engine Ratings
Private pilot licence: This is the least certificate you can get as a pilot but it has got restrictions on the types of aircrafts you can fly, time and even airspace you can fly in, it has even got restrictions on the amount of people you can carry. A PPLis a pre-quisite on getting a CPL.
In other to fly big jets, carry passengers and work for pay you need a Commercial pilots licence, during the course of training for your cpl you would undergo Instrument Rating and Night Ratings.
Instrument Rating IR i.e learning about the instruments in the airplane and how to use them esp during low visibility. You might have to rely on instrument just incase you can't view the runway due to weather conditions.
Night Rating NR: as the name implies it just about night flying, learning to fly at night.
Certified Flight Instructors Licence CFI: this is optional and is only required if you want to become Mr Lecturer lolz. All the instructors in flight schools anywhere in the world need this certificate in order to teach others how to fly. You need to have a CPL before you can get an Instructors Licence.
Air Transport Pilots Licence ATPL: is the PhD. of pilots licences. You don't need a CFI licence to get a ATPL with your is a CPL and 1500hrs of flying time you can get an ATPL.

The biggest challenge most people face when it comes to getting into flight school is finance. The cost of training to get a pilots licence is expensive i.e a CPL in Nigeria is about 7.5Million - 10Million Naira. Yup that's plenty right! Well for the most part at the end of the day its worth it and for some of us its priceless and we don't mind. But let's face it not a lot of people can afford that amount of money. I think to the best of my knowledge a few Nigerian airlines have cadet sponsorship programs. I know Arik air, Aerocontractors Nigeria, Bristow helicopters, and a few others have such programs. They pick selected and qualified individuals and train and pay for their tuition after which they come back and fly for the parent airlines. The Federal and state governments are not left out. We have state and federal government sponsoring students and aiding them achieve their dream of literally soaring through the skies. Like i know of Kaduna state sponsoring all its indigenes in flight school, some months back Kano pledged to send 50students to flight school. My cousin was fortunate to be a beneficiary of the Kaduna state sponsorship (proudly K.D).
 
Employment
There are Pilots jobs everywhere not just in Nigeria but all over the world and once you qualify and meet the criteria for employment you can apply. It might not be immediate but its there especially for the ladies, female pilots. Like i said earlier you just have to do your homework and keep an eye out for recruitment info and not lose focus. The total number of pilots in Nigeria i doubt is up to 3,000. Some weeks back there was talks about the dearth of pilots in Nigeria, and current pilots being old and the need for replacement with younger generation of pilots.
If you enjoy traveling, operating gadgets, not scared of heights, an adrenaline junky,  love meeting people well you would enjoying flying and seeing the world in a different perspective. If you are going in for the money you gonna be disappointed and frustrated cause being a pilot can be stressful and is highly demanding, that's to say good things in life don't come easy or cheap. For those of you considering being pilots hope this helps and i wish you'll the best.
Any questions pls drop your comments.