Isaac Balami Aeronautical University targets first made-in-Nigeria aircraft

By Mariam Abeeb

Renowned aviator and former National President of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Isaac Balami, has vowed that the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management will transform Nigeria into an aircraft manufacturing hub.

The pioneering institution, which was licensed on Wednesday along with ten others, was described by Balami as a critical step in reviving the nation’s once-thriving aviation legacy.

Balami, who spoke to news men on the sidelines of the official licensing ceremony, in Abuja, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving the university’s license.

“In the days of Nigerian Airways, we were the first African airline to land in America with crew. Today, that legacy is lost. This university is our way of restoring it,” Balami said.

He noted that more than just a degree-granting institution, the university is designed to produce world-class aeronautical professionals.

Balami revealed that students will graduate with dual certification, not just from the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, but also from global aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Gulfstream, and Embraer.

“Our students won’t just learn theory—they’ll clock 7,000 to 10,000 hours on live aircraft in our Lagos-based hangar, and graduate with both European and Nigerian civil aviation licenses.

“By the grace of God, Nigeria will soon witness its first indigenously built aircraft, constructed by our youth,” he said

Balami noted that the institution which is backed by a team that includes a Cranfield-trained aerospace design professor and a retired Air Vice Marshal as acting vice chancellor, the institution is built on proven expertise.