The Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Oshodi, Lagos State, has set a target for its students to design and build Nigeria’s first indigenous aircraft.
Founder of the university, Mr Isaac Balami, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Lagos ahead of the resumption of the institution’s first 60 students.
Balami said the project would be driven by original research and innovation rather than copying existing aircraft designs.
According to him, Nigerian professors with international experience from the United Kingdom and the United States are already part of the academic team supporting the initiative.
“The short-term goal is that by next year, our students will build the first made-in-Nigeria aircraft,” Balami said.
He explained that the institution would begin with smaller aircraft such as four-seater and eight-seater models, with plans for gradual expansion.
Balami noted that the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. P. O. Jemitola, is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering from England with hands-on experience in aircraft design, assembly and flight testing.
He said the long-term vision of the university is to support Nigeria’s security architecture through the production of locally designed aircraft for surveillance and monitoring of critical national assets, including oil and gas pipelines.
According to him, such aircraft would also support security agencies such as the police, the Navy and regional security outfits.
Balami stressed that the institution is positioned as a research-driven university focused on practical solutions, innovation and national development through aeronautics and management education.
He said the university was established to address challenges in Nigeria’s aviation industry, including manpower shortages and weak leadership, which he identified as reasons many airlines struggle after about 10 years of operation.
The founder added that the university is licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run 11 courses, with the first five including aerospace engineering, mechatronics, systems engineering and electrical engineering.
Balami disclosed that the Borno State Government has sponsored 54 students to study at the institution, while the remaining students are privately sponsored.
He expressed optimism that more states and agencies would key into the initiative and added that the university expects international students from Africa, Europe and beyond.
Officials of the Borno State Government, led by the Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship Board, Dr Bala Isa, who toured the campus and facilities, expressed satisfaction with the level of infrastructure and preparedness of the institution.
Isa said the facilities met accreditation requirements and would provide students with quality training in aeronautics and management.
