Chidimma Uchegbu
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.
“We’ve already assembled aircraft, built drones, and conducted C-checks and D-checks. We’re not starting, we’re scaling,” Balami emphasized.
Responding to concerns about the proliferation of private universities, Balami dismissed the notion that Nigeria has too many.
“Six million Nigerians sit for WAEC and NECO yearly, but only about 400,000 gain university admission. We clearly need more institutions to meet demand,” he argued, citing India’s example of opening new universities weekly.
He added that the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management is not just an academic venture, it’s a national renaissance.
“We are not waiting for the future. We’re building it now,” he declared.
