The National Assembly has pledged increased support for the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna, following a sharp rise in demand for admission into the military-run tertiary institution.
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Air Force, led by Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, committed during an oversight visit to the Institute. The lawmakers commended AFIT for its expanding role in delivering high-quality technical education to both military and civilian students from Nigeria and abroad.
Rurum, speaking on behalf of the Committee, noted that the Speaker of the House, Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, mandated the visit to assess key Air Force institutions and explore ways to enhance their capacity. He described AFIT as a critical driver of technological growth and manpower development in the defence sector. He assured the Commandant of the National Assembly’s resolve to ensure timely budgetary support.
AFIT Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Sani Labaran Rabe, told the lawmakers that the school continues to face pressure from an overwhelming number of admission seekers, mainly driven by its uninterrupted academic calendar, safe learning environment, and strong student-to-lecturer ratio. “We are proud of the confidence Nigerians have shown in AFIT, but we urgently need more facilities and departments to meet the growing demand. We count on the Committee’s support in addressing these infrastructural gaps,” AVM Rabe said.
The Committee members were also informed that the Institute had recently saved the country over ₦25 billion in just one training cycle, spanning three months. Additionally, 25 Nigerian Army personnel had graduated from one of AFIT’s aerospace programmes tuition-free, thanks to a waiver granted by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar. The visit was particularly nostalgic for Deputy Committee Chairman Air Vice Marshal Rufus Ojuawo (Rtd.), who was welcomed by AFIT officers familiar with his previous role at the institution.
With AFIT increasingly emerging as a hub for advanced defence and civilian technical training, lawmakers say they are committed to supporting its expansion as part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s local capacity in science, technology, and innovation.
