By: Tunde Olofintila
The Chairman of the United Nigeria Airline Company Limited, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, OFR, has made good his promise to provide first-rate professional hands-on training for 20 Avionics Engineering students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, annually.
The commencement of the six-month training for the 400-Level Engineering students marks the concretization of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ABUAD and United Nigeria Airlines signed on February 6, 2026, to provide industry-based training for the university’s students of Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering.
Under the agreement, 20 final-year students of ABUAD’s College of Engineering would annually undergo robust and hands-on training in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering through the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme, SIWES, at the Airline at the Airlines modern Maintenance Workshop in Lagos.
The collaboration, which is designed to run for a renewable period of 10 years, would enable ABUAD students to participate annually in hands-on, industry-driven training programmes in Aviation Maintenance and Aerospace Operations at no cost to the University or the students themselves.
Besides, the collaboration will foster a long-term investment in Human Capital development, skills transfer, and the grooming of a new generation of Nigerian Aerospace professionals.
Welcoming the first batch of the students, the Managing Director of United Nigeria Airlines, Mr. Osita Okonkwo, congratulated and advised the ABUAD Interns to take full advantage of the rare opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience that will complement their academic training and prepare them for professional careers in the Aviation Industry.
As part of the on-boarding process, the students received introductory sessions on Airline Technical Operations and professional expectations within the aviation industry.
The Airlines’ Line Maintenance Manager, Engr. Kwabena Adoma, alongside Engr. Benle Asemuah, provided briefings on Aircraft Maintenance Procedures and the Operational Environment of the Airline’s Engineering unit.
On his part, the Director of Human Resources, Kelechi Violet Asuquo, delivered a session focusing on Workplace Ethics, professionalism, and the unbending discipline required to thrive in the Aviation Industry.
The six-month SIWES programme will provide the students with practical exposure to Avionics Systems, Aircraft Maintenance Processes, and Airline Engineering Operations, giving them valuable real-world experience to complement their classroom learning.
According to Okonkwo, the Airline’s partnership with ABUAD is part of its broader Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and commitment to practical education that delivers value beyond certificates, adding that ABUAD graduates had continued to distinguish themselves, describing the university as an institution that had overshot its expectations within its 16 years of existence.
Reacting to the development, the Founder & Chancellor of the University, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, acknowledged the manifestation of the partnership as one of the best moments of his life thus far, adding that education remains the greatest panacea against ignorance, extremism, poverty, religious bigotry, tribalism among other problems, confronting the country as well as the bedrock of national development.
The former Pro Chancellor & Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos was elated that the materialization of the partnership will bring an appreciable nexus between quality and functional education on offer in ABUAD and first-hand practical experience provided for the students by United Nigeria Airlines, thereby making them robust Aviation professionals.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, commended the Airline for partnering with the university to advance Technical Education and professional training, adding that the Airline’s decision to commence flight operations into Ado-Ekiti on December 10, 2025, had fulfilled Babalola’s age-long aspiration for air connectivity to the state.
Her words: “History was made with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between United Nigeria Airlines and Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, marking a significant handshake between Academia and the Aviation Industry in the training of a new generation of graduates who will obtain not only academic certificates, but ones backed with practical industry exposure. This partnership is designed to develop their analytical thinking, innovation capacity and technical competence in modern engineering practice”.
She added: “While the University continues to provide strong Academic foundations through its state-of-the-art laboratories and faculty expertise, the Chief Executive Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, OFR, a visionary leader, and an internationally renowned economist par excellence with a deep commitment to youth development, has gone beyond the signing of the MoU.
“The CEO of the Airline within two weeks from the signing of the MoU, had already called for the first cohort of ABUAD Aeronautical Engineering students, offering them the golden opportunity to undertake their Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme training at the Airline’s ultra-modern Engineering Workshop in Lagos.
“With the most recent updates available to the University, these students, whom I consider truly privileged and lucky beneficiaries of this historic collaboration, will undergo a six-month period of structured learning and practical engagement at the Airline’s ultra-modern Engineering Workshop.
“Beyond gaining invaluable technical exposure, they will also be given a generous stipend of N100,000 monthly, a rare opportunity that underscores the practical value of this partnership.
“This initiative represents a significant milestone in our commitment to experiential learning and industry-driven education. It reflects a shared vision between Afe Babalola University and United Nigeria Airlines to nurture graduates who are ready to combine strong academic foundations with real-world technical competence.
“This is the very essence of the Town and Gown partnership with societal impact. Through this carefully designed partnership, our students will develop practical competence with innovative analytical thinking and professional confidence required to lead in the increasingly global technological landscape. The whole ABUAD community is eternally grateful to the leadership of United Nigeria Airlines”.