Baze University has acquired two training aircraft from Austria for its aviation school in Bwari, Abuja, as part of efforts to expand practical aviation education and train skilled professionals.
Baze University, Abuja, has acquired two training aircraft from Austria for its aviation school in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, in a move aimed at strengthening practical aviation education and developing skilled professionals in Nigeria.
The Pro-Chancellor of the university, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, disclosed this on Friday, November 6, 2026, following a traditional water cannon salute for the aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Baba-Ahmed described the acquisition as a significant milestone that would contribute to national development and boost manpower capacity in the aviation sector.
He said the university planned to train at least 600 professionals in specialised areas, including air traffic control, air rescue and firefighting, subject to approval by relevant regulatory authorities, alongside its existing approved degree programmes.
According to him, Baze University graduates are increasingly gaining recognition in Nigeria and internationally, including Europe, the United States and selected African countries.
The Pro-Chancellor said the aviation school would enhance Nigeria’s international standing and strengthen the country’s capacity in aviation operations.
He also disclosed plans to develop an aerodrome hub in Abuja, featuring a runway measuring 1,800 metres by 30 metres, with an additional 15 metres.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Aviation School, retired Air Vice Marshal Aliyu Bello, said the newly acquired aircraft would support practical flight training and expand the institution’s aviation operations.
Bello explained that the university was commencing flight training to give students hands-on experience alongside classroom and ground-school instruction.
He added that the institution was developing a dedicated aviation facility on a large site in Bwari, featuring a runway, hangar, terminal building, laboratories and flight simulation centres.
The aviation school is also expected to expand its academic offerings following the approval of two new full-time undergraduate programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC), effective from the 2026/2027 academic session.
The programmes are Aviation Management, under the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, and Aerospace Engineering, under the Faculty of Engineering.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Baze University, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, said the institution would become the first private university in Africa to operate its own aviation school.
The acquisition marks another step in the university’s efforts to establish a comprehensive aviation training facility capable of combining academic instruction with practical flight experience.
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