Nigeria unveils Africa’s first private aeronautics university

Nigeria Launches Africa’s First Private Aeronautics University

In a landmark development for aviation education on the continent, Nigeria has officially unveiled Africa’s first privately owned university dedicated exclusively to aeronautics and management.

The institution, named Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management (IBUAM), was inaugurated on Friday, October 17, 2025, in Abuja, marking a transformative moment for the region’s aerospace ambitions.

Founded by aviation entrepreneur and engineer Isaac Balami, IBUAM emerges as a strategic response to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) projection that Africa will face a shortage of over 65,000 aviation professionals by 2040. Balami described the university not merely as an academic institution but as a revolutionary movement aimed at redefining aviation and leadership education across Africa. He emphasized that every graduate of IBUAM will earn a degree alongside a private pilot’s license, with pathways to commercial certification, ensuring that students are not only academically qualified but also practically equipped to meet global aviation standards.

The university’s curriculum is designed to integrate rigorous theoretical instruction with immersive hands-on training. Students will accumulate over 1,000 hours of live aircraft experience and engage with advanced simulation technologies sourced from global aerospace giants such as Boeing, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce.

This practical exposure is further enhanced by the university’s affiliation with an existing Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) center in Lagos, where students will spend holidays and weekends working in hangars, engine shops, avionics bays, and structural repair facilities. The goal is to produce graduates who are industry-ready and capable of operating independently in any aviation environment worldwide.

IBUAM’s establishment has garnered strong endorsements from key stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation sector. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, hailed the initiative as a revolutionary step that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of fostering indigenous entrepreneurship and human capital development. He noted that the university fulfills two pillars of the government’s five-point agenda and praised its integrated model that combines flying school, aviation management, and MRO training, an achievement that public institutions have struggled to realize.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), represented by Director-General Chris Ona Najomo, expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with IBUAM on curriculum development, safety management education, and compliance training. Najomo highlighted the importance of high-quality human capital in maintaining a robust regulatory system and commended the university’s dual focus on technical competence and ethical grounding.

Vice Chancellor Paul Jemitola reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and innovation, while Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, announced a scholarship initiative to sponsor 100 young women annually from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to study at IBUAM. This move aims to promote gender inclusion and empower women in the aviation sector.

Admissions into the university are currently open, and interested candidates can apply through the institution’s official website.

With its pioneering model and visionary leadership, IBUAM stands poised to reshape the future of aviation education in Africa, offering a beacon of hope for aspiring professionals and a strategic solution to the continent’s looming talent gap.