United Nigeria Airlines Begins ABUAD Avionics Engineering Internship Program

United Nigeria Airlines has officially received its first group of avionics engineering students from Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), to begin a six-month internship. The program, part of the mandatory Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), aims to provide practical, hands-on experience to complement the students' academic training. This initial cohort consists of 14 400-level students who will be embedded within the airline's engineering and maintenance operations.

The initiative is a direct outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the airline and the university on February 6, 2026. The 10-year renewable pact establishes a formal framework for collaboration designed to bridge the gap between academic theory and the practical demands of the aviation industry. According to United Nigeria Airlines HR briefing materials, each student intern will receive a monthly stipend of ₦100,000 for the duration of the placement.

During an onboarding session, United Nigeria Airlines Managing Director, Osita Okonkwo, encouraged the students to leverage the opportunity to gain critical industry knowledge. He emphasized that commitment, discipline, and curiosity are essential for building successful careers in aviation. The students also received briefings on aircraft maintenance procedures and the operational environment from the airline’s Line Maintenance Manager, Kwabena Adoma, and Benle Asemuah. A session on workplace ethics and professionalism was led by Director of Human Resources, Kelechi Asuquo.

Addressing Nigeria's MRO Skills Gap

This partnership directly addresses a persistent challenge in Nigerian and African aviation: a shortage of locally trained and certified Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) personnel. The SIWES program is mandated by Nigeria's Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to provide essential practical skills to undergraduate students. By creating a structured pipeline from academia, United Nigeria Airlines is investing in a long-term solution to reduce its reliance on expatriate engineers and the high costs associated with foreign training.

The impact of this collaboration extends to multiple stakeholders. For the ABUAD students, the program offers invaluable real-world experience in avionics systems and airline engineering operations, significantly enhancing their employability upon graduation. For United Nigeria Airlines, it secures a consistent source of trained local talent to support its fleet maintenance and future expansion plans. At a national level, initiatives like this contribute to closing the MRO skills gap, which is critical for the growth and sustainability of the Nigerian aviation sector.

This trend of academia-industry collaboration is gaining traction across the continent. Historically, Nigerian carriers like Air Peace have established similar partnerships with local aviation schools to train pilots and maintenance staff. These programs represent a strategic shift towards building robust, indigenous human capital, a sentiment echoed by ABUAD's Founder, Aare Afe Babalola, who has previously highlighted such partnerships as vital for using practical education to drive national development.

Strategic Human Capital Investment

The 10-year renewable MoU signifies more than a standard internship; it is a long-term strategic investment in human capital. The agreement, which allows for training up to 20 final-year students annually, positions the airline to cultivate a workforce precisely tailored to its operational needs. This model provides a sustainable alternative to the historically reactive and costly approach of recruiting experienced personnel from a limited talent pool or hiring expatriates. By investing at the university level, the airline can influence curriculum relevance and instill its corporate and safety culture in engineers before they formally enter the job market. This proactive approach aligns with a broader industry pattern where airlines recognize that operational self-sufficiency is intrinsically linked to the availability of skilled local MRO professionals. The program ultimately serves as a template for how private sector entities can collaborate with educational institutions to solve systemic industry challenges.

What Comes Next

The first cohort of 14 students has commenced their six-month placement and is expected to complete the SIWES program in September 2026. Following the successful completion of this initial internship, United Nigeria Airlines and Afe Babalola University will likely review the program's structure and outcomes to refine it for future cohorts. Under the terms of the MoU, the program is slated to continue for at least a decade, with the potential to expand the number of participating students annually based on the airline's operational requirements and the university's capacity.

Why This Matters

This partnership between United Nigeria Airlines and ABUAD is a significant step in developing a sustainable aviation talent pipeline in West Africa. It provides a practical, scalable model for addressing the critical shortage of certified MRO professionals, reducing long-term operational costs for airlines and fostering national economic development by creating high-skill employment opportunities within Nigeria's growing aviation industry.

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