AANUOLUWAPO ANNIE OJEWUNMI is a passionate mechanical engineer graduate with experience in Aircraft Maintenance, Aerospace Non-destructive Testing, Quality Assurance and Safety. She is currently a qualified Aerospace NDT Level II Technician working as an Aircraft NDT, Wheels and Brakes Technician at Air Peace. She founded the Young Aerospace Professionals Initiative, a mentorship programme designed to guide aspiring aerospace engineers through various career-building initiatives. She is also an aviation contributing writer at Runway Girl Network, where she writes Africa aviation articles for Aero International, a monthly German magazine devoted to civil aviation, and aerospace NDT at Aerospace Testing International. She has also been featured on AviNation in 2025, a youth-focused aviation and aerospace magazine in the USA. She was also recently featured by Women Thrive Magazine in 2026. She is an alumnus of the World Hydrogen Leaders Mentorship Programme; an alumnus of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative of the United States Embassy in Lagos; a Member of Women in Green Hydrogen, and also recipient of the SOFEMA Aviation Leadership Scholarship in 2026. In this interview with MARIA DIAMOND she speaks about the necessity to bridge the gap between academia and the aerospace/aviation industry; the role and place of women in STEM education and the necessity to completely eradicate workplace inequality and gender bias that compels women to have to work harder to establish their competence and earn the same level of trust and recognition as their male colleagues.

Where did the drive and passion for aerospace emanate?
MY passion for aerospace began when I was still a young girl around 9-year-old. I live under a flight path and would regularly run out when I heard airplanes fly over my family home then. This led me to study Mechanical Engineering and during my internship at Arik Air, I was fully convinced that I wanted a career in aerospace and aviation.

What does it entail to be technical personnel in a broad field that includes aircraft maintenance, aerospace non-destructive testing, quality assurance and safety?
It requires technical competence, attention to detail, discipline, and a strong sense of professional ethics. When I think about what it means to be a technical professional combining aircraft maintenance, aerospace NDT, quality assurance, and safety, I don’t just see a job description. I see a massive responsibility ensuring the safety of thousands of lives and the airworthiness of the aircraft.
Technically, you need to be sound, and your decision-making must be guided by approved procedures, accurate findings, and an uncompromising commitment to safety. You must also understand that even the smallest oversight can have serious consequences.
Beyond technical knowledge, the job requires integrity and the courage to stand by your professional judgement, even when the decision is difficult. You must be willing to keep learning because aviation technology and maintenance practices continue to evolve.
Given your hands-on role at Air Peace as a Qualified Aerospace NDT Level II Technician, what are the most critical defect detection techniques you utilise on wheels, brakes, and airframe structures, and how does your work directly foster operational safety for West Africa’s largest carrier? In my work, the inspection method depends on the component to be inspected, the material it is made of, the type of defect being investigated, and the requirements of the applicable maintenance documentation.

For aircraft wheels and brakes, Eddy current testing (ET) can help identify surface and near-surface flaws in electrically conductive materials like the wheel hubs made of Aluminum. Magnetic particle testing (MT) is used to detect surface and near-surface discontinuities in suitable ferromagnetic materials such as the wheel bolts, most of which are made of steel like Boeing B777 and Embraer E190. Liquid penetrant testing (PT) is useful for detecting surface-breaking discontinuities in suitable non-porous materials. For materials which are non-ferromagnetic such as Inconel, consisting of Nickel and Chromium, PT is a perfect choice as methods such as ET and MY would not be effective in detecting cracks on it. Visual inspection is also essential for identifying conditions such as cracking, corrosion, wear, and other visible damage.
For airframe structures, the appropriate method also depends on the structure and material. Eddy current testing, ultrasonic testing, and other approved NDT methods may be used where specified by the relevant inspection procedure. Each technique has its own capabilities and limitations, which is why choosing the correct method is critical. My responsibility is to carry out inspections within my authorisation and qualification, follow approved procedures, evaluate indications against the applicable acceptance criteria, and ensure that findings are reported and documented correctly. Defects that might not be visible during an ordinary visual examination can sometimes be identified through appropriate NDT. This allows maintenance personnel to make informed decisions about the serviceability of a component. However, NDT is one part of a wider airworthiness and quality assurance ecosystem. Safe operations also depend on proper maintenance planning, engineering decisions, quality control, competent personnel, and regulatory oversight. My role is to ensure that the inspections entrusted to me are performed with the precision and integrity they require.

Having trained at Aerospace Inspection Training in the UK, how do global quality assurance benchmarks translate into daily maintenance workflows within the African aviation landscape?
I was fortunate to train at Aerospace Inspection Training in the UK, one of the leading aerospace NDT training facilities, where I received training in accordance with EN 4179 and NAS 410, the European and North American standards for aerospace NDT personnel qualification and certification respectively. These standards provide a framework for ensuring that inspections are performed by competent personnel using approved procedures and appropriate equipment, with accurate documentation of findings.
In my daily work at Air Peace, these principles guide how I inspect aircraft wheels, brakes, and other components using methods such as fluorescent penetrant testing and eddy current testing. Within the African aviation landscape, applying these global benchmarks helps strengthen maintenance quality, regulatory compliance, and confidence in our local aviation capabilities. Ultimately, aviation safety has no geographical boundaries; the same commitment to quality and airworthiness must apply wherever an aircraft is maintained.

You founded the Young Aerospace Professionals Initiative to bridge the gap between academic engineering curricula and the practical demands of the aviation industry. What are the primary skill deficits you observe in recent engineering graduates, and how has your initiative successfully placed young talent into top-tier aerospace roles?
One of the biggest challenges is the gap between knowing engineering theory and understanding how that knowledge is applied in the industry. Our universities provide an important foundation, but many students graduate do not have sufficient exposure to aircraft maintenance, aerospace manufacturing, NDT, aviation regulations, technical documentation, or the different career pathways available in the industry. Some also lack professional networking skills and an understanding of how to position themselves for technical opportunities.
I experienced how important industry exposure was during my own internship in 2021. That experience helped me understand the profession in a way that lectures alone could not explain.

I founded the Young Aerospace Professionals Initiative, YAPI, in 2022 to help bridge that gap. Through mentorship, webinars, workshops, career guidance, and industry engagement, we introduce young people to professionals and opportunities they might otherwise never encounter. YAPI has reached more than 500 students and young professionals across Nigeria and Africa through our programmes and activities. We have also supported young people in accessing career opportunities, including placements and professional development pathways. For me, success is not simply the number of people who attend a webinar. It is when someone who previously had no idea that aerospace NDT existed begins training for that career, or when a student gains the confidence and industry knowledge to pursue an opportunity.

We are working towards a future in which young Nigerians and Africans are not only seeking opportunities in the global aerospace industry but are also equipped to build and strengthen the industry within their own countries.

In this year 2026, there have been a number of aircraft incidents and accidents in Nigeria, what would you say is responsible for this sequence and how can the industry curb future occurrences?
I would be careful about attributing the incidents and accidents recorded in Nigeria this year to one particular cause.
Each of them must be investigated thoroughly as an accident, a serious incident, and an occurrence that may not have resulted in significant damage or injury. Aviation accidents are rarely explained adequately by speculation. Investigators examine several possible factors, including aircraft technical condition, maintenance history, operational decisions, crew actions, weather, airport infrastructure, organisational procedures, and other contributing circumstances. The actual findings must determine the conclusions.
From my perspective as an aircraft maintenance and NDT professional, one important priority is strengthening the systems that help identify and manage technical risks before they contribute to an occurrence.

This means consistent compliance with approved maintenance programmes, effective defect reporting, competent and appropriately qualified technical personnel, reliable quality assurance systems, and proper implementation of airworthiness directives and service instructions. It also means creating a safety culture in which personnel can report concerns without fear of inappropriate retaliation. We must also invest in continuous training, maintenance infrastructure, regulatory capacity, and the implementation of safety recommendations from completed investigations. The objective should not simply be to react after an accident. It should be to strengthen the systems that make accidents less likely in the first place. And when an occurrence happens, we must learn from the evidence and implement the necessary corrective actions.
What is the ratio of men to women enrolled in your aerospace mentorship programme?
The ratio of male to female mentees at YAPI is 7. Women and young girls make up roughly 30% of mentees at YAPI. And the underrepresentation of women in aerospace and aviation engineering is the basis of one of the issues we are working to address through YAPI’s project AeroGirls.

Clearly, you’re thriving in a ‘male dominated’ field. Share your experience on what it means to be a woman in your profession and what are the challenges you have encountered in your career that you think wouldn’t be the case if you were a man?
In a technical environment where women are underrepresented, you can sometimes become more conscious of how your work is perceived. There is the expectation that you must demonstrate your technical knowledge, prove that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, and consistently show that you belong in the environment.

I cannot say that every challenge I have encountered is necessarily one that a man would never experience, but gender can influence how people perceive competence and authority. There was a situation where I was questioned by a colleague in another department “If I was participating” in the technical work. I remember how that question made me feel, because I was there to do the job just like everyone else. I cannot say that every challenge I have faced is one a man would never experience, but moments like that make you reflect on how people perceive women in technical roles. For me, it has been about not allowing those experiences to undermine my confidence or make me question whether I belong. However, I have also had experiences that affirmed my hard work and dedication. Before completing my first year, I was sponsored for multiple additional training programmes in the UK and Nigeria, which I see as recognition of my competence, commitment, and willingness to learn.
I know the work I have put in to get here, and I will continue to let my competence, dedication, and willingness to learn speak for me. I hope that, over time, women in aircraft maintenance will no longer have to prove that they belong before their skills are recognised.

STEM education in the past was a complicated field that females didn’t attempt to dive into, but in recent times, we see young girls and women championing the course, what would you say is responsible for this?
I think one major factor for this is visibility. It is difficult to aspire to a career you have never seen anyone like you pursue. When young girls see women working as engineers, pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, scientists, and aerospace researchers, those careers begin to feel more accessible. They can move from thinking, “Can women do this?” to asking “How can I become one of them?” There is also greater access to information. Through social media, online learning, mentorship programmes, and STEM outreach, young people can now discover careers that may never have been discussed in their classrooms or homes. Initiatives that introduce girls to engineering early are particularly important because confidence and career interests often begin developing long before university. Through YAPI and our AeroGirls activities, I have seen the value of allowing girls to interact with professionals working in these fields, ask questions, and discover career pathways they did not know existed.
However, we must be careful not to assume that increased visibility has eliminated the barriers. Access to quality STEM education, laboratories, mentorship, financial resources, and employment opportunities remains uneven. The next step is to move from encouraging girls to study STEM to ensuring that they can progress from education into meaningful technical careers and leadership positions.

Would you say your industry seamlessly allows women to thrive based on merit or she has to work twice as hard, struggle and break glass ceilings like women in most industries in Nigeria have to do before they get to the top?
I would say we are making progress, but the industry does not always allow women to thrive solely on merit. Sometimes, women have to work harder to establish their competence and earn the same level of trust and recognition as their male colleagues. In aircraft maintenance, where women remain underrepresented, you can find yourself having to prove that you belong before your actual skills are fully recognised.
However, I believe things are changing. My own experience has shown me that hard work, competence, and dedication can open doors, as reflected in the additional training opportunities I received within my first year. But we should not have to work twice as hard simply to be considered equally capable. The goal should be an industry where opportunities for growth and leadership are determined by competence, not gender, and where more women can thrive without constantly having to break barriers just to be seen.

How would you describe the woman you are now from the woman you used to be 10 years ago? And where do you envision to be in the next 10 years?
Ten years ago, I was much younger and still discovering what was possible for me. I had interests and ambitions, but
I had not yet gained the experiences that would shape the professional and personal direction I am pursuing today.
Today, I am a mechanical engineering graduate, a qualified Level II aerospace NDT professional, a global aviation writer, and the founder of an initiative that helps young people access opportunities in aerospace. I have had the opportunity to work in aircraft maintenance, undertake specialist training in the UK, engage with people across the aviation industry, and build platforms that create opportunities for others.
In 10 years, I plan to represent Nigeria as a Global Ambassador at the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Establish an Aerospace Innovation Center, partnering with global aerospace organisations focused on aerospace technologies, to provide local talent with training and resources for skill development and retention. Personally, I hope to become a woman who is not only accomplished in her career but also become truly happy and fulfilled in life.

Based on your gathered experiences home and abroad in your field, what is your advice for young girls who want to follow suit?
My first advice is to remain curious. Do not limit yourself to the careers you already know. Aerospace is much broader than flying an aircraft. There are opportunities in aircraft maintenance, space, NDT, propulsion, materials science, avionics, aerospace manufacturing, safety, engineering design, research, and many other areas. My second advice is to build a strong foundation. Take mathematics, physics, and other relevant subjects seriously. If you are already in the university, look for opportunities to gain practical experience through internships, technical projects, professional training, and engagement with people working in the industry. Finally, find a community that supports your growth. Mentorship can help you understand the industry, avoid unnecessary mistakes, and make more informed career decisions. I started YAPI because I understand how powerful exposure and guidance can be. You may not have every answer at the beginning, but you can take the next step with the information and opportunities available to you.

With the level of professional tasks and responsibilities you shoulder, how do you create time to just be a woman, living a soft and healthy life?
I am still learning how to get that balance right, and I think it is important to be honest about that. There are different parts of my life that always demand my full attention: my technical career, writing, and YAPI. I am very ambitious, and I genuinely enjoy building things. But I am learning that being productive all the time is not the same as living well. For me, living a softer and healthier life means giving myself permission to rest without feeling guilty about it. It means being intentional about my personal time, looking after my wellbeing, spending time with people who matter to me, and making room for interests outside work. I love music a lot and I also love dancing too. I try to make time for these as much as I can. One thing that helps me is planning. I try to have a schedule and stick with it, although I am still learning to be consistent. Ultimately, I want to build a fulfilling career and make an impact without losing the simple joys that make life beautiful.

QUOTES:
‘Aviation safety has no geographical boundaries; the same commitment to quality and airworthiness must apply wherever an aircraft is maintained’.

‘We are working towards a future in which young Nigerians and Africans are not only seeking opportunities in the global aerospace industry but are also equipped to build and strengthen the industry within their own countries’

‘The underrepresentation of women in aerospace and aviation engineering is the basis of one of the issues we are working to address through YAPI project AeroGirls. I hope that, over time, women in aircraft maintenance will no longer have to prove that they belong before their skills are recognised.’