The National Universities Commission (NUC) has assured the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation that it would expedite action on the concept document submitted by the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika for the establishment of an Aviation and Aerospace University in the country.
Executive Secretary of the NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, who gave the assurance after receiving the note from the Minister on Friday, said the commission will engage some professors to perfect the concept note for immediate approval.
“I can assure you that by the end of the month (July), we are going to have a brand new University, the first of its kind in Abuja, first African University dedicated to aviation and aerospace study in the country,” Rasheed said, adding that the value of such university can’t be quantified.
“This aviation under your guidance, will be the first to show the way that we can support the establishment of a specialized university that won’t only serve us but serve the African region and the International community,” he stated.
Presenting the concept note earlier, Senator Sirika who was accompanied by the ministry’s permanent secretary, directors and heads of agencies, said that the ‘African Aviation and Aerospace University Abuja’ will be dedicated to research and development of knowledge in Aviation and Aerospace.
The minister stated that the decision to establish the specialised university was informed by the need to fill some identified gaps in the growth and development of the aviation sector.
“When we took the leadership in civil aviation, we identified and understood the gap in the growth and development of civil aviation in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. We are deficient in research and development in civil aviation and aerospace technology and that has caused a lot of underdevelopment of the sector and made us to be backward.
“We have been working three to four years now on this and we developed a concept note based on the advice by Executive Secretary NUC for critique and that will fast track the process of setting up the University. We have come up with concept note of what will be the focus of this University” he explained.
“The potential of this University to serve the market of civil aviation and aerospace within the continent cannot be overemphasized. Once the University takes off, a lot will happen and it will change the dynamic,” he added.
Sirika expressed gratitude to the Executive Secretary and his team for guiding the process leading up to the submission of the concept note, and the assurance that it will be expeditiously concluded.
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