Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) has officially partnered with the Eastwing Aviation Institute to expand the Sofema Bursary Programme. This strategic initiative is designed to strengthen aviation capacity in Nigeria by providing students, instructors, and industry professionals with access to internationally recognized, high-level training.
The collaboration follows the success of the Southeast Aviation Summit/Eastwing Youth Competition (formerly the Face of Eastwing Competition/Southeast Aviation Summit), which highlighted a critical need for robust investment in aviation education and technical skill development across the African continent.
A Global Standard for Local Talent
Under this partnership, the Eastwing Aviation Institute (EAI) will collaborate with SAS and Sofema Online (SOL) to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of over 525 specialized online courses. These programs are meticulously designed to meet European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, covering essential industry pillars such as:
Safety Management Systems (SMS), Continuing Airworthiness (CAMO), Aviation Quality Assurance
Maintenance Planning and Compliance, Leadership and Management in Aviation.
The Eastwing Youth Foundation (EYF) confirmed that the agreement aims to bridge the competency gap, ensuring that young Nigerian professionals possess the globally aligned skills required to thrive in a highly regulated international market.
A Vision for African Aviation Excellence
Steve Bentley FRAeS, CEO of Sofema Aviation Services, emphasized that this partnership is more than just a training agreement, it is an investment in the future of African aviation safety and professionalism. “At Sofema, our mission has always been to democratize access to world-class regulatory training. By partnering with the Eastwing Youth Foundation, we are not just providing course materials; we are empowering the next generation of African aviation leaders with the tools to excel within an EASA-compliant environment.
He added: “We are proud to support this initiative with a €10,000 training bursary, ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of professional excellence and industry safety.”
Impact and Reach, Since its founding in 2008, Sofema Aviation Services has established itself as a cornerstone of industry education, having:
Partnered with over 3,500 aviation entities globally.
Issued more than 700,000 certificates of completion.
Developed a library of over 400 technical and regulatory courses.
Dr. Edeh Christopher, Founder of the Eastwing Youth Foundation, described the partnership as a transformative milestone. He noted that the initiative is specifically engineered to bridge the gap between local training benchmarks and the rigorous requirements of the global aviation industry, creating a sustainable pipeline of talent for years to come.
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