By Adewusi Adeyinka
Nigeria is blessed with a lot of first-time achievers recently and one such instance was when Captain Adewale Sheriff Yusuff became the youngest Chief Pilot of an Indigenous airline in Nigeria in 2021
Captain Yusuff is a true aviation legend and is the first to attain this prestigious title.
Family Background
Yusuff was born in Lagos, Nigeria in the early 90’s to the Humble family of Alhaji and Hajia. AbdulRahman Adebisi Yusuff .
He would rather talk about how his family background is a reflection of the absolute best traits any human being can possess i.e their intelligence, their warmth, and love. Yusuff believe that fulfilling each other’s basic needs such as food, drink, clothing, etc. is secondary to the love and compassion which makes them go above and beyond what is expected of them and that is called grace.
Education
After completing his primary and secondary school education in Nigeria with outstanding performance, he proceeded to South Africa in 2009/10 where his journey as a pilot started
Aviation/Pilot Trainings
Growing up, Yusuff always dreamt of flying planes, eventually going to South Africa Blue chip Aviation wonderboom Airport Pretoria where he obtained his private pilot licence.He then moved to Phoenix East Aviation Daytona beach Florida USA , where he did his commercial pilot license and finished December 2012.
Afterward, he did his type rating course at CAE Arizona USA where he eventually obtained a license to fly the CRJ 900
Career & Achievements
As a young Pilot, Yusuff has been breaking barriers and many records.He made his mark in 2013 when he became for the first time in the history of Aviation in Nigeria ,the youngest commercial Pilot after joining Arik Air at the ripe age of 21 .While in Arik , he rose through the ranks from Second officer to first officer and eventually senior first officer. He held key positions such as Safety officer and Flight data monitoring administrator.
In 2019, Captian Yusuff joined Ibom Air, making him one of the pioneer staff of the Akwa Ibom State owned Airline.It’s on record that he was part of the team that helped Ibom Air acquired their AOC license to start operating in the Nigeria airspace. Same 2019, Yusuff broke another record in Nigeria Aviation industry by becoming the Youngest Airline Captain with Ibom Air.
On his decoration as the Youngest Captain, he said ““I feel extremely honoured that I am Nigeria’s first youngest commercial pilot and today the first youngest Captain of any Indigenous Airline in Nigeria .I take this responsibility with both honour and humility.I aim to make a mark by becoming not only ‘the first person to achive this feat but also ‘the best’ and strives to be a role model for the younger generation of pilots.”.
Captain Yusuff when he was decorated as a Captain
Chief Pilot
In 2021, ValueJet Airline, a new entrant into the Nigeria Airspace came calling for his services. .After so much persuasion, Yusuff joined ValueJet and helped the Airline acquired their AOC to operate as an Airline. One of his biggest achievements came immediately as he became the Chief Pilot making him to set another record as the Youngest Chief Pilot of. any (both international and Indigenous )airline in .Nigeria and West Africa.
This legendary young man has not only made Nigerians proud but also stands for the true capabilities of youths who have long been termed as “Lazy Youths”. He gives many the courage to break the glass ceiling and soar high.
A look into his life reveals many qualities that he has, and it is inspiring to see the traits that a young man can grow up to possess. He is an inspiration for not just youths under the age of 30, but also youths in all fields.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best qualities Sheriff Yusuff possesses:
• He is courageous
*He is a devoted Muslim
*He is a Team member
• He believes in empowering and encouraging Youths in Nigeria, who have been seen globally as fraudsters . .
• He follows a strict fitness and diet regimen and this shows his dedication to his profession.
Captain Yusuff with a colleague
Conclusion
It’s a story of a successful journey for Captain Adewale Sheriff Yusuff. All the laudable achievements of his career has been at a very young age all before he turned 30. He is therefore one of the very few to achieve this feat not only in Aviation but in other sectors of the economy
In 2013, he became the first Nigerian youngest Commercial Pilot at the age of 21.
He was commissioned as a Captain in 2019 and thereby , becoming youngest Captain in the history of Aviation in Nigeria
In 2021, Yusuff became till date the youngest Chief Pilot of an arline in Nigeria and West. Africa
Since the beginning of his career, Captain Adewale Sheriff Yusuff has stood out as one of the best pilots in Aviation sector . He learned various aspects of flight operations in a very short span of time.
