Ebonyi State University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering, Ezza — pioneering a new era of aviation science, research and innovation in Africa.
Everything you need to know about who we are, where we come from, and what drives us forward.
Ebonyi State University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering — known as UAAE — was born from a bold ambition: to establish Africa's first university dedicated entirely to the science and engineering of flight. Located in Ezza Land, approximately 21 km from Abakaliki and sitting adjacent to the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport in Onueke, the university's very location speaks to its purpose.
The university was initiated in 2021 under His Excellency, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, then Executive Governor of Ebonyi State. On December 10, 2021, the Ebonyi State House of Assembly enacted it into law as Law No. 019 of 2021 — later reenacted as Law No. 002 of 2025 under the administration of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Prince Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, who transformed the vision into reality.
On August 20, 2024, Professor Patrick Akata Nwofe was sworn in as the pioneering Vice Chancellor, marking the formal beginning of institutional operations. Eleven months later, on July 11, 2025, the National Universities Commission (NUC) formally issued UAAE its Operational License — confirming it as the 69th State University and 300th University in the Nigerian University System.
The University carries the motto "Changing lives through research and innovation" — a commitment not just to academic excellence, but to the tangible transformation of lives through aerospace science. Its colour, Orange #FF4F00, is the international colour code for Aerospace: energetic, bold, and forward-looking. The proprietor is the Government of Ebonyi State, with the Executive Governor serving as Visitor.
UAAE is reachable at P.M.B. 035, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. It is not just a university — it is a statement about what Africa can build when it decides to reach for the sky.
UAAE Vice Chancellor signs cooperation agreement with Russian partners, Dubna — 2025
UAAE was not established simply to add to the number of Nigerian universities. It was established with a clear sense of purpose — to be the institution that proves Africa can lead in aerospace education, research and innovation.
At UAAE, management, faculty, staff and students are united around a set of values that shape every decision, every programme, and every interaction within the university community.
UAAE operates a traditional university governance structure that upholds democratic norms, institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Authority flows clearly from the Visitor through Council and Senate to the academic and administrative units.
UAAE Organisational Structure
The principal officers appointed by His Excellency the Governor are driving the University's establishment with focus, discipline and a shared commitment to academic excellence.
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From the moment of its establishment, UAAE has pursued international collaboration with the same ambition that defines its academic mission. These partnerships open research pathways, postdoctoral opportunities, and joint programmes that place UAAE firmly on the global aerospace map.
JINR 37th Training Programme, Dubna, Moscow Region — May 2025
Photos from the UAAE delegation visit to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) and Dubna State University, Moscow Region — cementing Nigeria's first university-level nuclear research partnership.
Join Nigeria's first specialized aerospace university — where research meets innovation.
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