Baze University make a renewed push for aviation human capital development as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, received the institution’s Chancellor, Senator Yussuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, in Abuja. The meeting placed skills, training capacity and Nigeria’s future aviation workforce at the centre of policy conversation, reinforcing the growing urgency to close the sector’s widening talent gap.
The Chancellor led a high-level delegation from the university on what was both a courtesy and project-advocacy visit to the Ministry. The visit focused on Baze University’s proposal to establish a School of Aviation in Bwari, Abuja, complete with a dedicated training runway designed to support pilot training and other critical aviation programmes. A statement by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, confirmed that senior university officials were present, including Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jamila Shu’ara, and Registrar, Professor Abiodun Gabriel Adeniyi.
During the engagement, Senator Baba-Ahmed traced the institution’s growth from its modest beginnings in 2011 to its current standing as a major private university. He explained that Baze University started with just 17 students, 60 staff members and limited academic space, but has since produced over 5,000 graduates and expanded its facilities significantly. He stressed that this growth story underpins the university’s confidence in taking on aviation training, which he described as the next logical step in building national capacity.
From a human capital perspective, Baze University make the argument that aviation represents one of the most skills-intensive industries globally. Baba-Ahmed noted that international projections indicate the need for hundreds of thousands of new aviation professionals, particularly maintenance engineers, over the next two decades. He questioned whether Africa, and Nigeria in particular, intends to remain dependent on imported expertise or invest deliberately in developing its own professionals.
The Chancellor framed aviation education as a strategic response to Nigeria’s economic leakages, placing it alongside healthcare, education and tourism as sectors capable of retaining value locally. He explained that the proposed School of Aviation would train pilots, aeronautical engineers, air traffic controllers, meteorologists and other specialists whose absence continues to limit sectoral growth. According to him, Baze University make this investment not merely as an academic venture, but as a national skills intervention.
Responding, the Minister welcomed the delegation and described the proposal as timely and aligned with government priorities. He acknowledged that discussions around the project had been ongoing and said he was encouraged by the clarity of vision and emphasis on national interest. He noted that Baze University make a compelling case based on its track record of delivery and institutional credibility.
The Minister highlighted the persistent shortage of aviation professionals, particularly in air traffic control and technical disciplines, noting that these gaps directly affect connectivity and operational resilience across West Africa. While recognising the role of existing institutions such as the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology and the African Aviation and Aerospace University, he described the entry of additional credible training providers as healthy competition that strengthens the aviation ecosystem.
From a policy standpoint, Keyamo assured the delegation of full institutional backing, directing aviation regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, to fast-track approval processes. He emphasised that bureaucracy should not obstruct genuine capacity-building initiatives and warned against any financial impropriety during regulatory engagements.
Ultimately, the proposed School of Aviation positions Baze University make a direct contribution to Nigeria’s long-term aviation workforce development. By reducing dependence on foreign training and expanding local skills pipelines, the initiative aligns with broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s standing within the global aviation ecosystem and secure the human capital required for sustainable sector growth.
