Captain Chinyere Kalu is celebrated as Nigeria’s first female commercial pilot, the distinction of being the first Nigerian woman to fly a Boeing aircraft belongs to Captain Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo. Here’s detailed information about both trailblazing pilots:
Captain Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo
- Name: Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo
- Origin: Born on October 16, 1990, in Kaduna State, Nigeria; hails from Ogbomoso, Oyo State
- Marital Status: Married to Seun Funmi Olamilekan Sowemimo since April 22, 2017; they have children
- Education:
- Attended multiple primary schools due to regional unrest, completing at Temitope Nursery and Primary School in Ibadan
- Secondary education at First Baptist Model High School, Kaduna, graduating in 2007
- Began a pre-degree program at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Oyo State
- Pursued aviation training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria (2009-2010)
- Completed further training at Sunrise Aviation Inc., Florida, USA, in 2011
- Achievements:
- Joined Medview Airlines in Lagos in 2013 as a First Officer on Boeing 737 aircraft; later promoted to fly the Boeing 767-300ER
- In October 2018, became the first Nigerian woman to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for Qatar Airways
- First Nigerian female pilot to fly the Boeing 767 across the Atlantic Ocean
- In 2020, began operating Qatar Airways’ Lagos-to-Abuja route
Captain Chinyere Kalu
- Name: Chinyere Kalu (née Onyenucheya)
- Origin: Native of Akwete, Ukwa East Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria
- Marital Status: Married with children
- Education:
- Attended Anglican Girls Grammar School, Yaba, Lagos State
- Trained as a private and commercial pilot at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, starting in 1978
- Completed additional aviation and transport courses in the United Kingdom and the United States
- Received her commercial pilot license on May 20, 1981, from NCAT
- Achievements:
- First Nigerian female commercial pilot
- Served as Rector and Chief Instructor of NCAT from October 2011 to February 2014
- Member of the Nigerian Women Achievers Hall of Fame
- Conferred with the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2006
- Recipient of the African International Achievers Merit Award (2007) and the Rare Gems Professional Achievements Award (2007)
Both Captain Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo and Captain Chinyere Kalu have made significant contributions to Nigeria’s aviation industry, breaking barriers and serving as inspirations to many.
