Boeing has partnered with Aviation Techniks and Training International Limited to deliver a six-week specialist Boeing Technical Maintenance Training Programme at the ATT Academy in Lagos, providing Nigerian engineers from United Nigeria Airlines and ValueJet Aviation with access to world-class aircraft maintenance training without leaving the country.
The partnership was hailed by industry leaders as a milestone that addresses one of the most persistent structural gaps in Nigeria's aviation sector: the near-total dependence on overseas facilities for technical training and aircraft maintenance certification, which drains foreign exchange, disrupts aircraft availability, and limits the development of domestic aviation engineering capacity.
Why This Matters
Managing Director of United Nigeria Airlines, Osita Okonkwo, described the significance directly: "A training of this magnitude would ordinarily have been done in England." Bringing it to Lagos, he said, opens a new chapter in the development of Nigerian aviation engineering capability.
Managing Director of ValueJet, Captain Omololu Majekodunmi, echoed this, adding a longer-term aspiration: "In the next 15 years or so, it would be great to start assembling Boeing aircraft here in Nigeria." While that ambition remains distant, the training partnership represents a concrete step toward the kind of aviation ecosystem depth that such long-term ambitions require.
CEO of Aviation Techniks and Training International, Odutola Joshua Olawale, framed the partnership in continental terms — citing Boeing's projection that approximately 1,200 aircraft will be delivered to African operators over the next 20 years, creating demand for an estimated 77,000 aviation professionals to maintain them. "The service industry is worth about $130 billion," Olawale said. "Bringing in these airplanes would create jobs not just directly but also indirectly, and develop the capabilities of our people."
Boeing's Wider Commitment to Nigeria
Boeing's representative at the programme confirmed that the company has several ongoing initiatives in collaboration with the NCAA to improve air safety in Nigeria, covering not only training but also airport infrastructure development and runway improvement. The company's engagement with Nigeria reflects a growing recognition among original equipment manufacturers that the development of local maintenance capacity is a commercial imperative as African airline fleets grow — reducing dependence on expensive ferry flights to overseas maintenance facilities and improving aircraft availability for operators.
The ATT Academy training facility is expected to become a hub for Boeing-certified maintenance training across West Africa following the success of the initial programme, with additional courses planned for subsequent months.
