The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has enlisted the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU) Abuja as a beneficiary institution, paving the way for the newly-created institution to access funding for research, infrastructure development, and academic staff training.
The Guardian reports that the premier Aviation University in Nigeria joins the ranks of about 300 beneficiary institutions, including public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, to access TETFund’s interventions.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stated this at the weekend when he hosted the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja.
Specifically, the Executive Secretary announced that funding for the new institution will commence in January 2025.
“The good news is that the university has been enlisted. And from January, you will begin to enjoy the normal allocations,” Echono said. “Within those allocations are provisions not only for projects but for also training of staff. You will have resources to carry out all level of research. We will also give you funds for materials and other things that you need to operate efficiently”.
The Executive Secretary who said the institution was long overdue, also assured that in addition to regular funding, Management will make a strong case to the Board of Trustees for some special funding, including High-Impact Intervention.
According to him, developing domestic capacity and expertise in the aviation industry is crucial to maximizing our investments in infrastructure, stressing that this will reduce reliance on foreign services, and create employment opportunities.
Earlier, the Aviation Minister lauded the Executive Secretary for providing seed funding for the institution’s permanent site.
Keyamo appealed to the Fund to provide capacity-building support for the university’s staff, research grants and assist in facilitating the institution’s relocation to its permanent site by 2025.
He noted that completing the project on schedule would help avoid financial implications of inflation and potential contract adjustments.
His words: “This is your baby. As Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Education, he was one of the main drivers that made this university come to pass. So in a way, we are tied to your umbilical cord.
“We took our first intake last year September. So far, the new intakes are about 150 apart from the Msc students. More than 1,000 applied but we could barely take 10 per cent because of lack of facilities at the school”.
While disclosing that the school is currently operating from a temporary site from one of its agencies, he said it enjoys the support of other agencies including the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) among others.
The Aviation Minister was accompanied by top ministry and university officials, led by AAAU Registrar Mustapha Sheikh.
