The Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management (IBUAM) has admitted 54 scholarship students from Borno State into its specialised pilot and engineering degree programme, marking its first major intake since the institution commenced operations.

Speaking at the welcoming event held over the weekend, the Founder of the University, Isaac Balami, described the development as a defining moment for the institution.

He noted that the students will undergo a five year training that combines academic degrees in aerospace engineering, mechatronics engineering, systems engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, and software engineering with professional pilot training.

At the end of the programme, they are expected to graduate as engineers and licensed pilots.

He said, “Today is a historic day where we are receiving the first 54 pilots and aircraft engineers from Borno State Government. They will be undergoing a five year degree programme. At the end of the programme, they will graduate as engineers and pilots and also system thinkers.”

Balami explained that the university operates a model that blends classroom learning with hands on training at its aircraft hangar, where students are expected to log about 1,000 hours yearly.

According to him, the structure is designed to produce graduates who can build, manufacture and innovate within the aviation industry.

“This is the first time you will find a university where, aside from theory, students are also coming to the hangar to log hours every year. What took me over 20 years to learn in the aviation sector, we have vowed to give these children in about five years,” he mentioned.

He noted that the institution currently has about 60 students, with the 54 new scholars forming the bulk of its pioneer cohort.

He added that Africa is projected to require about 29,000 pilots and 31,000 aircraft engineers in the next decade, stressing that the university aims to help bridge that gap.

Balami also said that while he would have preferred to site the institution in Borno State, security realities influenced the decision to establish it in Lagos.

“If there was security in this country, this university would be in Borno State,” he said, expressing hope that a satellite campus would be established there in the future.
The Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarship Board, Dr. Bala Isa, said the sponsorship was part of efforts to restore the state’s educational strength after years of disruption caused by insurgency.

Isa said, “Borno State has gone through very difficult times. There was a time when our schools were almost closed down for more than one and a half years. One of the reasons behind this sponsor is that Borno State wants to bring back the past glory of education to the state.”

He explained that the state had previously sponsored students to countries such as China, Egypt and India in fields including medicine, engineering and nursing. However, when the government sought institutions that could take up to 30 pilot trainees at once, it faced limitations abroad and at home.

“We approached the Nigerian Pilot Institute in Zaria and they said they could only provide five admissions at a time every year. That would have taken us almost six years to train 30 pilots,” he said.

According to him, the search eventually led to the discovery of the Lagos based aviation university, which could admit and train the 54 students at once in combined pilot and engineering programmes.

For the students, the opportunity marks a turning point.

One of the beneficiaries, Ihsan Yakubu, who is studying software engineering, described the scholarship as a dream fulfilled.

She said, “This career in aviation has been a dream and a goal for me. I am so happy and excited to be here studying at IBUAM. It is a life changing opportunity and I am so grateful.”

Yakubu added that the scholarship would inspire other girls to pursue careers in aviation and engineering. “It will show that aviation is not only for men. There is no gender discrimination. All courses are meant for both girls and boys,” she said.

Another student, Baba Ahmad Umar from Maiduguri, who is studying mechatronics, said the sponsorship meant a great deal to him and his family.

“This scholarship means a lot to me because it is a life changing opportunity. I will try my best to make my state and my parents proud. I will study hard and have a bright future,” he said.

He added that his success would benefit his parents, community and the state government. “If I study hard and become successful, my parents and my community will be proud. I will make sure I do my best to make them all proud,” he said.