Baze University, Abuja, has acquired two brand-new Diamond DA40 aircraft for its aviation school in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as part of efforts to develop aviation manpower and train at least 600 professionals in specialised areas of the industry.
The aircraft were received late Friday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with a traditional water-cannon salute.
Speaking after the arrival of the aircraft, the Pro-Chancellor of the university, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, described the acquisition as a significant milestone not only for the institution but also for Nigeria’s aviation sector and national development.
He said the university was committed to producing a new generation of aviation professionals capable of strengthening the country’s manpower base and enhancing its position in the global aviation industry.
According to him, the institution intends to train at least 600 professionals in various specialised fields, including pilot training, air traffic control, and air rescue and firefighting, subject to approval by the relevant regulatory authorities.
This would be in addition to the university’s approved degree programmes in Aviation Management and Aerospace Engineering.
Baba-Ahmed said the university had made significant progress in developing the infrastructure for the aviation school, disclosing that construction had reached approximately 50 per cent completion since January.
He said the project was being developed on a 92-hectare expanse of land in Bwari, with facilities planned to include an aerodrome measuring 1,800 metres in length and 30 metres in width, alongside an additional 15-metre shoulder.
The Pro-Chancellor described the proposed aerodrome as a major national infrastructure project, noting that it was significant for a privately owned institution to undertake a development of such scale.
He said the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and other relevant agencies had been supportive of the project.
“Baze Aviation, by extension Baze Aviation School, is an institution that is going to lift the image of Nigeria across the world. This institution will enable us to command and control geography in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the university’s aviation initiative was informed by Nigeria’s strategic geographical location and its potential in agriculture, solid minerals, and oil and gas, stressing that the country needed to maximise these advantages.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Aviation School project, retired Air Vice Marshal Aliyu G. Bello, said the two aircraft would be deployed for practical flight training as the institution prepares to commence enrolment for its pilot training programme.
Bello described the acquisition as the beginning of a broader aviation training initiative, explaining that the university would require additional aircraft, including twin-engine planes, as well as flight simulators, to expand its training capacity.
He said the aircraft were brand-new and had been procured from Austria, adding that their acquisition demonstrated the university’s commitment to providing students with practical aviation training in addition to classroom instruction.
According to him, the university is developing a dedicated aviation facility in Bwari, comprising a runway, hangar, terminal building, laboratories, and simulation centres.
Bello also disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had approved two full-time undergraduate programmes for the university, 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.
He said the combination of academic programmes and practical flight training would provide students with a broader range of opportunities in the aviation industry.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, said the acquisition placed Baze University in a distinctive position within Africa’s higher education landscape.
He described the institution as the first privately owned university in Africa to establish its own aviation school with its own aircraft.
Adeniyi also said the university was making history as the first African university to own an aviation training facility of its kind, including aircraft and a dedicated campus.
He contrasted the development with the University of South Africa, which he said was the first publicly owned university on the continent to establish an aviation training school.
The Vice-Chancellor attributed the achievement to the vision of the university’s founder and Chancellor, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, whom he commended for investing in aviation education and infrastructure.
He expressed optimism that the aviation school would contribute to developing skilled manpower for Nigeria and the wider African aviation industry.
