…as AAAU holds 3rd matriculation

By Nnasom David

The Federal Government has declared that the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), Abuja, will remain a specialised institution dedicated to aviation and aerospace education, warning against any attempt to transform it into a conventional university.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, gave the assurance on Thursday during the university’s third matriculation ceremony in Abuja.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mahmud Adam Kambari, the minister said the institution was established to bridge the manpower gap in the aviation and aerospace sectors and must remain focused on its core mandate.

“We have seen situations where specialised universities gradually abandoned their mandates and introduced programmes that barely reflected their core purpose. That will not happen here,” Keyamo said.

“AAAU was created as a specialised aviation and aerospace university, and as far as this administration is concerned, that is exactly what it shall remain.”

The minister described the university as a strategic investment aimed at addressing Africa’s shortage of skilled aviation professionals while supporting the Federal Government’s human capital development agenda.

He noted that global projections indicate demand for more than 600,000 pilots, over 700,000 aircraft maintenance engineers and technicians, as well as hundreds of thousands of other aviation professionals in the coming decades, with Africa expected to record one of the fastest passenger traffic growth rates.

According to him, AAAU has a responsibility to produce graduates who will become innovators, researchers, regulators, entrepreneurs and global leaders within the aviation ecosystem.

While commending the university’s management for overcoming the challenges of establishing a new institution, Keyamo encouraged the expansion of aviation-related academic programmes without compromising the university’s specialised focus.

He recommended the introduction of programmes in aircraft engineering, aviation management, airport operations, aerospace engineering, unmanned aircraft systems, aviation law, aviation finance, aviation medicine, logistics and supply chain management, meteorology, among other aviation disciplines.

Earlier, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of AAAU, Mustapha Abdullahi, described the university’s third matriculation ceremony as another historic milestone, saying the institution was steadily evolving into Africa’s emerging centre of excellence in aviation and aerospace education.

Abdullahi said the university was conceived by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to bridge the manpower gap in the aviation and aerospace sectors across Nigeria and Africa.

“Many people saw only an idea. Some wondered whether it would ever become a reality. Today, this hall provides the answer,” he said.

He disclosed that the university commenced undergraduate academic activities in 2023 with only 29 students but has since grown to a population of 311 students.

According to him, 52 undergraduate and 75 postgraduate students were matriculated during the 2026 academic session.

He added that more than 50 postgraduate students had successfully defended their master’s degree projects, while the university had trained over 500 aviation professionals through its Professional Training Directorate, compared to 162 trainees at inception.

Abdullahi said the institution remained committed to producing highly skilled professionals, innovative researchers and responsible leaders capable of advancing Africa’s aviation and aerospace industry.

Addressing the newly admitted students, he stressed that excellence was non-negotiable in aviation and warned against examination malpractice, absenteeism and academic shortcuts.

“There is absolutely no room for mediocrity in aviation. If you came here looking for shortcuts, you came to the wrong university,” he said, urging the students to embrace discipline, innovation and hard work.