XEJet Ltd has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the University of Abuja to establish the XEJet Centre for Aerospace and Space Engineering.

The group chief executive officer of XEJet, Emmanuel Iza, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Monday.

Mr Iza said the MoU would enable the establishment of a purpose-built academic hub to advance aeronautical and astronautical engineering education in Nigeria and strengthen the country’s position in the global aviation ecosystem.

“At the groundbreaking ceremony of our flight support service facility in January 2025, we were clear about our ambition to position Nigerian aviation firmly on the global map and to empower young aerospace engineers to build, innovate, and compete internationally.

“The XEJet Centre for Aerospace and Space Engineering marks the beginning of that journey and represents our long-term commitment to the Nigerian aviation space through education, infrastructure, and talent development,” he said.

He added that the project would be delivered in two phases. Mr Iza said the first phase would equip priority aerospace laboratories within existing University of Abuja facilities to enable immediate teaching and practical instruction.

He said the phase would also support readiness for accreditation by the National Universities Commission and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.

According to him, under the MoU, both parties will commence the design and development of a permanent, green-powered academic complex.

He added that the final phase would involve XEJet funding and the delivery of the purpose-built facility, fully aligned with COREN Outcomes-Based Education standards.

Mr Iza disclosed that to reinforce industry relevance and reward excellence, XEJet would offer automatic employment to the top three graduating students of the programme annually for ten years, subject to basic employability requirements.

The dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Abuja, Abdulfatai Jimoh, said that for the graduates of the university’s academic programme to be employable, they must have both classroom and industrial exposure.

He said this is facilitated by mutually beneficial academic-industry collaboration.

“The newly established agreement between XEJet and the University of Abuja will, of course, bring about the needed growth, standard and quality in the aeronautical and astronautical engineering programme and aerospace industry,” he said.

According to him, this would also help to achieve one of the objectives of NUC-CCMAS and COREN-OBE for the engineering discipline.

“I sincerely appreciate XEJet for reaching out to support our programme and the society through this gesture,” he said.