NCAA Technical Team Engages AAAU On SAF Capacity Development

The African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), Abuja, has received a technical team from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for discussions on the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Nigeria, with emphasis on training, knowledge development, knowledge exchange and the professional capacity required to support the emerging SAF ecosystem.
The team comprised members of the NCAA Environment Team, An NCAA SAF Technical Expert, and ICAO Consultant, Jon McKechnie. They were received by the Vice-Chancellor of AAAU, Mustapha Sheikh Abdullahi, Ph.D, FInstTA, FCMI, alongside members of University Management and staff.
In his opening remarks, the Vice-Chancellor gave a brief overview of the University, highlighting its establishment, academic programmes and growing focus on aviation, aerospace and environmental sustainability. He also highlighted the African Centre for Climate Change and Aviation Decarbonization (ACCCAD) and its role in supporting knowledge, research and capacity development around climate change and aviation decarbonization.
The discussions built on efforts that began last year towards exploring Nigeria’s potential for Sustainable Aviation Fuel development. Preliminary studies identified significant opportunities for SAF development from available sustainable resources, providing a basis for further consideration of the technical, academic and institutional requirements needed to develop the SAF ecosystem in Nigeria.
With attention now shifting towards building the expertise required to translate this potential into practical action, the meeting examined the role AAAU could play as a knowledge and training base for SAF capacity development.
A major focus of the engagement was the Training of Trainers approach, which is intended to develop a pool of professionals and subject-matter experts capable of transferring knowledge and supporting wider capacity development in the SAF sector.
Discussions covered what the Training of Trainers programme would entail, the knowledge and technical areas required, and the importance of ensuring that an appropriate academic foundation forms part of the initiative.
The meeting also considered opportunities for the exchange of tutors, trainers and subject-matter experts between relevant institutions. Participants noted the need to strengthen the availability of specialized expertise and establish the institutional infrastructure required to absorb, develop and transfer knowledge in the emerging field of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
The discussions further emphasized the importance of collaboration with other key institutions, recognizing that the development of a functional SAF ecosystem will require coordinated contributions from regulators, academic institutions, technical experts, industry stakeholders and other relevant partners.
For AAAU, the proposed capacity-building activities align with the University’s aviation and environmental mandate and the work of ACCCAD, particularly in the areas of climate change, aviation decarbonization and the development of knowledge and professional capacity to support a more sustainable aviation sector.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed strong interest in the proposed collaboration and the University’s potential role in hosting and supporting SAF-related training and knowledge-development activities. It was also discussed that the training activities could contribute to strengthening the technical foundation of ACCCAD and support its broader capacity-development objectives.
As part of the next steps, a team comprising the leadership of ACCCAD and other relevant experts within AAAU will work with the NCAA technical team to further develop the areas of collaboration, including training, subject-matter expertise, knowledge exchange and the proposed Training of Trainers programme.
The engagement represents a step towards strengthening the human and institutional capacity needed to support Nigeria’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel ambitions and advancing collaboration between the aviation regulator and academia in building a more sustainable and lower-emission aviation sector.