Aviation varsity takes off Sept. 26 – FG

The Federal Government says the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), Abuja, will open for registration from Sept. 26 to Nov. 18.

The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, disclosed this on Friday during a media chat in his office in Abuja.

According to him, the institution will start with B.Sc Aviation Business and B.Sc Meteorology and later advance to M.Sc Air Transport Management in 2023 academic session.

“These are the parts we discussed with the National Universities Commission (NUC). We will soon unveil the website, which is www.aaau.edu.ng.

“However, this will be available soon because we still need to conclude some steps with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) toward activating the website.

“Indeed, it has taken a long time since 2016. We have been on it because it is rigorous exercise. We need to go through it all with the Commission. NUC has been very cooperative and supportive,” he said.

Sirika said the federal government would sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) hopefully on Monday with Nile University in Abuja for cooperation and partnership in running the university.

According to him, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) headquarters building at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) will serve as temporary headquarters for the university.

The minister further said that some of the lectures would also be done at Nile University.

Sirika stated that the federal government had given the university land allocation close to the NAIA area for its permanent campus.

According to him, the university is going to be a hybrid university – on campus and online.

“We have the provisional approval by the NUC to continue. When we satisfy all necessary conditions, then we will have a permanent approval.

“So, for the startup, we will be needing dormitory, cafeteria, laboratories and so on. We will be partnering with Nile University here in Abuja,” he said.

He said establishing the university was part of the aviation roadmap to bridge the gap of well-trained aviation personnel and lack of capacity in the sector by correcting inherited inefficiency.

According to him, the institution will be dedicated to provision of a high level of management manpower to run the aviation system in Nigeria from the present to the future.

“Also, we think that it is high time the country went through Research and Development in aerospace and aviation.

“The university will be privatised for more efficiency and more focus to address what is going wrong in our industry like lack of capacity to understand the business itself.

“Aviation is an exact science and technology. It is a very serious discipline and very dynamic in nature. You need to move in speed with it. There is a need for capacity and knowledge to run the business,” he said.

According to the minister, there is need to advance knowledge in aviation to boost national economy to raise Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“As for me as a minister, not the government, this is the most important legacy the administration will leave behind for the coming generation,” he said.