Baze University Plans Abuja’s Second Aerodrome, Aviation School
Baze University, Abuja, has unveiled plans to establish the Federal Capital Territory’s second aerodrome and train at least 600 aviation professionals as part of efforts to address manpower shortages in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The university’s Founder and Chancellor, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, disclosed the plans on Friday, November 6, while receiving two newly acquired Diamond DA40 NG training aircraft from Austria for the institution’s proposed aviation school.
Baba-Ahmed said the aviation school, being developed on a 90-hectare site in Bwari, would provide training for pilots, air traffic controllers, aeronautical engineers, aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel, among other aviation specialists.
He explained that the initiative was designed to address the shortage of skilled professionals in the country’s aviation sector and position Nigeria as a destination for aviation education and professional training in Africa.
The university also plans to develop an aerodrome with a runway measuring 1,800 metres in length and 30 metres in width, alongside an additional 15-metre shoulder.
According to the founder, the proposed facility would become Abuja’s second aerodrome, expanding the aviation infrastructure available in the nation’s capital.
He commended the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for supporting the proposed aerodrome, while acknowledging the contributions of relevant aviation regulatory agencies.
Baba-Ahmed also disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had approved two undergraduate programmes for the institution: Aviation Management and Aerospace Engineering, for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, described the arrival of the two training aircraft as a significant milestone in the institution’s aviation education ambitions.
He said the university was positioning itself as the first privately owned university in Africa to establish an aviation training school with its own aircraft.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Baze Aviation School Project, retired Air Vice Marshal Aliyu Bello, explained that the aircraft would support practical flight training alongside classroom instruction.
He added that the proposed aviation facility would include a dedicated runway, aircraft hangar, terminal building, laboratories, classrooms and flight simulation centres.
On the project’s progress, Baba-Ahmed disclosed that construction of the aviation school’s infrastructure had reached approximately 50 per cent completion between January and November 2026.
The development comes amid concerns over shortages of specialised personnel in Nigeria’s aviation industry, including pilots, air traffic controllers and technical professionals.
When completed and fully operational, the project is expected to expand aviation training opportunities, strengthen local manpower development and contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
