Man couldn't get admission to dream college so he started working as aircraft cleaner — 24 years later, he became a pilot

When we say all good things come to those who wait, it's not wrong. All we need to do is put in some honest hard work in the mix and watch our dreams come true. The story of Mohammed Abubakar is bound to inspire every person out there who comes from humble beginnings but has high ambitions. According to Aero Time, a Nigerian man named Mohammed Abubakar started his journey from cleaning aircraft to flying one in about 20 years. However, he initially wanted to get a college diploma and attend the Kaduna Polytechnic. But fate had a different plan for him.

Abubakar was late for his admissions and lost the chance to enroll in the college. So he turned towards pursuing an aviation career and started cleaning aircraft for Kabo Air, a local Nigerian airline company. His first salary was not much as he made only 200 Nigerian Naira per day, which is about $0.50. He worked in various sectors of the aviation industry over the years and continued to climb upwards to find a better career in the industry. Abubakar had one target and it was becoming a pilot.

Through working various jobs, Abubakar saved enough money to go through pilot training in Canada. He finally received his private pilot license and it was only a step forward to achieve his dreams of becoming a commercial pilot. However, Abubakar still needed to get a commercial license. But his savings dwindled and he had nothing left to train further to become a commercial pilot. Fortunately, the luck was on his side as his employer during that time, helped him to fund his training and he ultimately received his commercial pilot license.

Abubakar finally got the opportunity from Azman Air, another airline company in Nigeria, to become a commercial pilot in 2018. "I joined a contribution system with my colleagues, and when it was my turn to receive the accumulated funds, there was a sizeable amount of money. So, I went to the managing director and sought his advice on my dream of training as a pilot. He was so happy and supported me. That’s how I managed to sponsor myself for my private pilot license in Canada, which marked my take-off as an aircraft pilot,” Abubakar disclosed his process to the Daily Trust.

It took Abubakar 24 years of hard work to reach where he always aspired to be. The official X page of Azman Air (@AzmanAir), shared Abubakar's picture and his interview as well. According to Daily Trust, Abubakar had previously worked with Aero Contractors for eight years before he joined Azman Air as a pilot. There were times when he went through a rough phase but he never thought about quitting. "I was able to weather the storm and here we are today,” Abubakar told the news outlet.

People who came across his inspirational story on Azman Air's X handle left supportive comments for the man. @DavidAyomikun commented, "Amazing! I'll tell my story like this too someday! Thanks for the inspiration. Always aim high. The sky is my home!" @Jamdeezou applauded, "Wow. Started with 200 Naira per day and is now a pilot." @aqah39 wondered, "Good one but a question, did he join Aero without knowing his salary?"