The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has expressed concern over the widening shortage of skilled professionals in Nigeria’s aviation industry — a gap he said has forced the government to recall and retain retired staff to sustain critical operations.
Keyamo made the disclosure on Friday during the official unveiling of the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management (IBUAM) in Abuja, the first private university of aeronautics in Nigeria, licensed earlier this year by the Federal Government.
The minister described the institution’s establishment as “timely and strategic,” saying it aligns with the administration’s broader goal of building indigenous capacity to meet Africa’s rapidly expanding aviation demands.
“African aviation is the fastest-growing sector. It will outpace every other industry on the continent in the coming years,” Keyamo said. “We are expected to grow so fast that Africa will soon be looking for professionals — pilots, aeronautical engineers, and air traffic controllers. We need to be ahead of these dynamics. This could not have come at a better time.”
Keyamo revealed that Nigeria’s aviation workforce has been stretched thin, particularly in air traffic control and technical operations.
“We are short-staffed in certain areas in aviation, and even the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria is struggling in those particular areas,” he stated. “We have had to recall retirees and extend their tenure to meet the need. So, we expect that this university will focus on producing the kind of skilled professionals the industry urgently needs.”
He urged the management of IBUAM to make air traffic control, aeronautical engineering, and aviation safety core training priorities, emphasizing that the future of the industry depends on closing the current skill gap.
In his remarks, the university’s founder, Isaac Balami, said IBUAM was conceived to accelerate the training of aviation professionals and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign expertise.
“We are compressing what took us 20 years to learn in the field into four or five years of structured training,” Balami explained. “Our curriculum includes digital simulation and real-time technical experience that prepare students to work with global manufacturers.”
The Pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Paul Jemitola, outlined the university’s distinctive training model, which integrates academic and practical aviation learning.
“Every student will have the opportunity to master piloting and leadership alongside their primary course of study,” he said. “Upon graduation, students will earn both a degree and professional certifications — including a private pilot’s licence and international aircraft maintenance accreditation — in line with NCAA and EASA standards.”
Prof. Jemitola added that IBUAM aims to strengthen Nigeria’s aviation education system and produce a new generation of aviation managers, engineers, and pilots ready to drive the continent’s air transport growth.
“This university represents a new dawn for aviation training in Nigeria,” he noted. “We are positioning our students to become global players in an industry that increasingly defines Africa’s connectivity and economic future.”
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