Uyammadu Ifechukwu Franklin, winner of the 2025 Face of Eastwing Competition, has begun his four-month SIWES training after receiving a full aviation scholarship to study Aircraft Maintenance Engineering.
Eighteen-year-old Uyammadu Ifechukwu Franklin, winner of the maiden Face of Eastwing Competition, also known as the Southeast Aviation Summit/Eastwing Youth Competition (SASEYC), has begun his four-month Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) training as he continues his journey towards a career in aircraft maintenance engineering.
Uyammadu emerged winner of the 2025 Face of Eastwing Competition after competing alongside 50 young people at the inaugural Southeast Aviation Summit in Enugu.
His victory earned him a full scholarship from Eastwing Aviation Institute to study Aircraft Maintenance Engineering.
Following the completion of his initial academic training, Uyammadu has now moved into the practical phase of his aviation training, gaining hands-on industry experience through the SIWES programme.
Speaking on the development, the Executive Director of the Eastwing Youth Foundation and SASEYC Convenor, Christian Agadibe, said Uyammadu’s progress demonstrated the practical impact of the scholarship initiative.
Agadibe said the institute had funded the winner’s training through the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme, while efforts were continuing to secure sponsorship opportunities for other finalists from the 2025 competition.
“The school has funded the winner to the final stage of his Aircraft Maintenance Engineering training. We are still soliciting support for the top 10 because we believe these young people also deserve the opportunity to build careers in aviation,” Agadibe said.
He said the progress of Uyammadu was an indication that the youth-focused initiative was achieving its objective of creating access to aviation education for young people who might otherwise struggle to afford the training.
Agadibe added that the ongoing second edition of the Southeast Aviation Summit and Eastwing Youth Competition was already producing another group of talented young people who would require support beyond the competition.
“The youths of the Southeast are eager to learn. They have set aside their distractions and are ready to learn. This has become a platform that encourages them to take their studies and development seriously,” he said.
Uyammadu, who has continued his aviation training since winning the competition, said the scholarship had brought him closer to the career he had always wanted to pursue.
“The scholarship has given me the opportunity to pursue my dream in aviation and gain the practical experience I need for my career. Starting my IT has made the journey even more real, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn directly within the industry,” he said.
The development comes as the 2026 edition of the Southeast Aviation Summit and Eastwing Youth Competition progresses, with the current top 10 finalists undergoing further training ahead of the October 3 summit in Enugu, where another winner will emerge.
The Eastwing Youth Foundation has called on philanthropists, individuals, organisations and other potential sponsors to support the finalists, particularly the top 10, to enable more young people to access aviation training and practical career opportunities.
The organisers said the goal was to create a sustainable pathway through which young people could gain the skills, training and practical experience required to build successful careers in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
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