Abuja – The Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management IBUAM, Africa’s first privately owned university dedicated to aeronautics and management, was formally unveiled on Friday, October 17, 2025, at the Plateau Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Delivering the keynote address, Air Vice Marshal Prof. Paul Jemitola, Vice Chancellor of IBUAM, described the institution as a groundbreaking development that would transform the landscape of aviation education and leadership in Africa.
“Today, we unveil not just a university, but a revolution designed to shape the future of aviation and leadership across Africa,” he said. “The International Civil Aviation Organisation projects that over 65,000 new African aviation professionals will be needed by 2040. Our university is a timely response to that call.”
Comrade Isaac Balami, founder and chancellor of IBUAM, recounted his humble beginnings in Maiduguri, Borno State, before rising to become a respected figure in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
“I came from a background where I was a suck-away evacuator, a bus conductor, and a farm labourer,” he said. “Today, by God’s grace, we are unveiling Africa’s first private aeronautics and management university.”
Balami disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs had pledged to sponsor 100 female students annually from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to study at IBUAM.
“This partnership will help break barriers and open the skies to women,” he said, drawing loud applause from the audience.
National leaders hailed the project as a symbol of hope and progress. Ambassador Gabriel Aduda described the university as “a national pride and a beacon for Africa’s next generation of innovators.”
With its bold motto, “Excellence in the Skies, Leadership on the Ground,” IBUAM officially begins its journey as a beacon of African ingenuity, courage, and progress.
