KWASU Engineering Student Lands Historic Solo Flight

ILORIN – In a milestone achievement for Nigerian aviation and academia, Teslimat Abiola Nurudeen, a final-year student at Kwara State University (KWASU), has etched her name in the institution’s history books. On April 20, 2026, she became the first undergraduate from the university to successfully complete a solo flight at the Ilorin International Airport.

​The historic feat saw the young aviator pilot an aircraft alone for a 24-minute circuit flight, marking a triumphant conclusion to months of intensive preparation. Her training regimen included rigorous ground school instruction, high-fidelity simulator sessions, and a series of supervised flights alongside seasoned instructors.

​Teslimat, a student in the Department of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering—a program KWASU pioneered as the first of its kind in a Nigerian university—was formally received by the university management following her successful landing.

​The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, lauded the achievement as “exceptional.” During a reception in his office, he praised Teslimat’s ability to balance the demanding workload of a final-year engineering degree with the technical rigors of pilot training.

ADVERTISEMENT

​”Her success is a testament to the quality of our engineering program and will undoubtedly inspire more students, particularly young women, to break barriers in the aviation and engineering sectors,” Professor Jimoh stated.

​The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Abdulraheem Toyin Abdulbaqi, and the Head of Department, Dr. Taofiq Omoniyi Amoloye, both described the event as a record-breaking moment that validates the university’s commitment to practical, industry-ready education.

​The reception was attended by high-ranking university officials, including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Moshood Mahmud Jimba, and the University Bursar, Mallam Muhammad Abubakar. Also present was the student’s father, Engineer Idris Nurudeen, the university’s Deputy Director of Works, who witnessed his daughter’s transition from engineering student to history-making pilot.

​With this solo flight, Teslimat Abiola Nurudeen not only fulfills a personal dream but reinforces Kwara State’s growing reputation as a central hub for aviation training in West Africa.