United Nigeria Airlines has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), to provide industry-level training for students of Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering in the university’s College of Engineering.
The agreement establishes a structured pathway for ABUAD students to gain hands-on professional experience through the airline’s Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
Under the partnership, engineering students of the university will annually participate in United Nigeria Airlines’ industry-driven training programmes, designed to equip them with practical skills and real-world exposure in aviation maintenance and aerospace operations.
The programme, which comes at no cost to the university, will be fully funded by United Nigeria Airlines as part of its commitment to human capacity development in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, expressed appreciation to the airline for choosing the institution as a partner in advancing technical education and professional training.
She described the collaboration as a strategic investment in students’ exposure and professional formation, expressing optimism that the partnership would contribute significantly to the growth of indigenous aviation expertise.
“As we append our signatures today, we do so with optimism that this partnership will, in the near future, produce individuals equipped to assemble, manufacture, pilot and even build the much-anticipated Made-in-Nigeria aircraft,” she said.
Prof. Olarinde added that the collaboration should serve as a model for effective university–industry partnerships across the country.
Also speaking, the Founder of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, reiterated that education remains the bedrock of national development and appealed to relevant authorities to ensure access to quality education for all Nigerians.
He thanked United Nigeria Airlines for selecting the university and formalising the partnership through the signing of the MoU, describing the initiative as a major contribution to manpower development in the aviation and engineering sectors.
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