Aeronautic varsity receives 54 students for pilot, engineering training in Lagos
The Founder of the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Mr Isaac Balami, has described the admission of 54 students sponsored by the Borno State Government into the institution
The Founder of the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Mr Isaac Balami, has described the admission of 54 students sponsored by the Borno State Government into the institution as a historic milestone for Nigeria’s aviation and education sectors.
The students, who were formally received on Friday at the Seven Star Global Hangar in Lagos, will undergo a five-year integrated degree programme combining engineering disciplines with professional pilot training.
Speaking at the event, Balami said the programme is designed to produce graduates who are not only certified engineers and pilots but also system thinkers equipped to transform Africa’s aviation industry.
“Today is a historic day for us as we receive the first 54 pilots and aircraft engineers sponsored by the Borno State Government under the leadership of Governor Babagana Zulum. This is the first batch of students admitted into our specialised programme,” he said.
According to him, the students will study aerospace engineering, mechatronics engineering, systems engineering, electrical/electronics engineering and software engineering, alongside intensive pilot training.
Balami explained that the university, after four years of rigorous preparation, secured special approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to operate a unique training model that integrates academic theory with hands-on industrial experience.
“This is the first time you will find a university where students combine classroom learning with about 1,000 hours of practical training annually inside a functional aircraft hangar. We are raising innovators, manufacturers and creators, not graduates who simply leave school to circulate CVs,” he stated.
He noted that students will gain exposure to global aircraft systems and engineering processes, adding that the goal is to compress over 20 years of industry experience into a structured five-year programme.
“What took some of us decades to learn in the aviation industry, we are deliberately packaging and transferring to these young Nigerians within five years,” he added.
Balami said although he would have preferred to site the institution in Borno State, insecurity over the past decade made Lagos a more viable option.
“If there was full security, this university would have been in Borno State. Borno was once known as a centre of peace and learning.
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Unfortunately, insurgency disrupted that stability for years. We pray that peace will return fully, and when it does, we hope to establish a satellite campus in the state,” he said.
He described Lagos as the aviation hub of West and Central Africa and the headquarters of several leading corporations in Nigeria.
“For now, Lagos provides the right ecosystem for aviation training and industrial collaboration,” he added.
Balami stressed that Africa faces a critical manpower shortage in the aviation sector, citing projections that the continent will require about 29,000 pilots and 31,000 aircraft engineers within the next decade.
“No single country on the continent can close that gap alone. Institutions in Ethiopia, Morocco and Egypt cannot fill even 20 per cent of the demand. That is why we are here, to bridge the gap and position Nigeria as a training hub,” he said.
He disclosed that the university currently has about 60 students in total, with Borno State accounting for 54 of them in the pioneer batch.
He added that other state governments have expressed interest in partnering with the institution.
Tuition for the programme, he said, ranges between $20,000 and $40,000 per year, covering accommodation, feeding, insurance, aircraft type rating and pilot training costs.
The Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarship Board, Bala Isa said the state had suffered major setbacks in its education sector due to the Boko Haram crisis, which led to prolonged school closures.
“Borno State has gone through very difficult times as a result of insurgency, and this brought serious setbacks to our education sector. There was a period when schools were almost completely shut down,” he said.
He noted that Governor Babagana Zulum had prioritised the restoration of education as a central pillar of his administration’s recovery plan.
“One of the reasons behind this sponsorship is to restore the past glory of education in Borno State and to give our citizens a sense of belonging, to make them believe that they can aspire to be anything in life,” Isa stated.
According to him, the state government had already sponsored students to study medicine, nursing and various engineering courses in countries such as China, Egypt and India as part of its broader human capital development strategy.
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He added that the decision to include aeronautical engineering and pilot training followed growing requests from parents in the state seeking support for their children in those specialised fields.
“His Excellency observed that many parents approached him to assist their children to study aeronautical engineering or undertake pilot training. He then decided that if such opportunities could be extended to a few individuals, they should also be made available to children of ordinary citizens,” Isa said.
Architect and licensed pilot, Mr Abayomi Omotosho Ikuru, described the sponsorship as a major boost to human capital development in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He said the initiative represents a strategic investment in the future of aviation in the country.
“This is a very good development. I read about it in the news and felt it was important to be here and witness it,” he said.
He commended the Borno State Government for what he described as a forward-looking initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with specialised skills in aviation.
“Kudos to the Borno State Government. This is a very good initiative for human capital development and for the future of aviation in Nigeria,” he added.
Ikuru noted that the university’s training model compares favourably with specialised aviation institutions in the United States, describing it as one of the best developments in Nigeria’s aviation education space.
“The university itself is a unique experience in Nigeria. It can be compared to specialised aviation universities in the US. It is one of the best developments we have seen in the aviation sector in Nigeria,” he said.
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Two beneficiaries described their admission as a life-changing opportunity.
Ihsan Yakubu, one of the two female students among 52 male students, said studying aviation had always been a dream and that securing the scholarship marked a major milestone in her life.
“This career in aviation has always been a dream and a goal for me. I am so happy and excited that I got this scholarship and that I am now studying at Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management here in Lagos,” she said.
Yakubu, who is studying Software Engineering, said she hopes her success will inspire more girls to pursue careers in aviation and other technical fields.
“I want to show other girls that aviation is not only for men. There is no gender discrimination in education. No course is meant only for men or only for women. All courses are meant for both boys and girls,” she added.
Another beneficiary, Baba Ahmad Umar, described the scholarship as a rare opportunity that would positively shape his future.
“This scholarship means a lot to me because it is a life-changing opportunity. I will use it wisely and make sure I try my best to make my state and my parents proud,” he said.
Umar, who is studying Mechatronics Engineering, pledged to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in him by the state government.
“If I study hard and become successful, my parents, my community and the state government will be proud. I will do my best to make them all proud,” he stated.
