The four-month-old Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), and United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited has begun yielding significant benefits, with the airline announcing a 50 per cent reduction in airfares for students of the institution.
The special concession, described as a major relief for students and their families, comes against the backdrop of the university’s diverse student population drawn from all 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and several foreign countries.
The development was conveyed in a letter dated June 11, 2026, titled “Special Discounted Air Fares for ABUAD Students during June 2026 Holiday Period,” signed by the Head of Business Development and Strategy of United Nigeria Airlines, Mrs. Ifeoma Ekwerike, and addressed to the Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde.
The airfare reduction is one of the early dividends of the strategic partnership agreement signed between ABUAD and United Nigeria Airlines on February 6, 2026, during an elaborate ceremony held at the university campus in Ado-Ekiti.
The Memorandum of Understanding was designed primarily to provide industry-based training opportunities for students of ABUAD’s Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering programme. Under the agreement, 20 final-year students of the department are expected to undergo intensive hands-on training annually with the airline to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and practical industry experience.
The 50 per cent airfare discount further underscores the commitment of both institutions to enhancing students’ welfare while fostering academic excellence and professional development.
Stakeholders have described the initiative as a commendable demonstration of corporate social responsibility and a model partnership capable of strengthening the linkage between academia and industry.
The latest development is expected to ease the financial burden of air travel for students returning home during the June holiday period while reinforcing ABUAD’s reputation for pursuing innovative partnerships that directly benefit its students.
According to the Chairman of the Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, OFR, FNIPR, the Airline’s partnership with ABUAD is part of its broader Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and commitment to practical education that delivers value beyond certificates, adding that ABUAD graduates had continued to distinguish themselves, describing the university as an institution that had overshot its expectations within its 16 years of existence.
To make good its promise to provide first-rate professional training for ABUAD Aeronautical Engineering Students, the Airlines, in March 2026, commenced practical training for 20 ABUAD Aeronautical Engineering students under the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) at the Airline’s ultra-modern Engineering Workshop in Lagos.
Beyond gaining invaluable technical exposure and in a patent demonstration of the spirit of patriotism and altruism, Okonkwo endorsed the payment of a generous stipend of N100,000 monthly to each of the students, a rare opportunity that underscores the practical value of this partnership.Going into the specifics of the “Special Discounted Air Fares for ABUAD Students during June 2026 Holiday Period”,
Ekwerike said: “United Nigeria Airlines is pleased to offer special discounted air fares to ABUAD students during the June 2026 Academic Holiday period”.
She added: “To support students travelling home for the holidays, we have introduced a ‘Special Holiday Home-Coming Fare package’ for all verified ABUAD students departing from Ekiti Airport (EKK).
“Under the package, a one-way direct flight from Ekiti Airport to Abuja or Lagos will attract a fare of N200,000 while connecting flights from Port-Harcourt, Enugu and other destinations via Abuja or Lagos will attract a fare of N280,000.
“These promotional fares are exclusively available to verified ABUAD students and are subject to seat availability and applicable booking conditions. We believe this initiative will significantly ease the trave burden on students and their families, providing greater convenience and affordability during this travel period.
“For your information and circulation, our current flight schedule is attached. We would appreciate the University’s support in communicating this opportunity to the students to enable them to benefit from these special holiday fares. Thank you for your continued partnership. We look forward to serving the ABUAD community”.
Reacting to the development, the Founder & Chancellor of the University, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, LL. D (London), Ll. D (UNILAG), Fellow, King’s College, London, FNAE, commended Okonkwo and his Airlines for their spirit of giving, an uncommon practice among Nigerians.
The former Pro Chancellor & Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos emphasized that Nigeria and indeed any country anywhere in the world can only develop and progress when well-to-do members of such countries support the efforts of others around them.
According to Babalola, Okonkwo, the Russian-trained many-sided Academic and Business mogul’s support remains the highest level of support the 16-year-old ABUAD has enjoyed thus far. He called on other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Okonkwo in the overall development of the country.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on Nigerians to change their attitude to giving. They should cultivate the habit of being their brothers’ keepers. If they are their brothers’ keepers, in truth and in deed, they will learn how to minister to their brothers’ material, financial and emotional needs. This way, the society will be better”.
He added: “You never can tell how far a smile to someone can go in his life. You don’t know the comfort the school fees you paid for your neighbour’s son will bring to that boy or his family. Neither do you know what N10,000 could mean to a hungry soul. That little seed you sow into the life of your neighbour could make all the difference in his/her life that day or even forever.
“We should love our neighbour as ourselves. Remember, your neighbour is not the man/woman living next to you. It is that person you extend a helping hand to. We should always remember what the Bible says in the Book of Luke 6:38:
“Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down and shaking together and running over will men give unto you.
“The rich and the more comfortable members of the Nigerian society should be ready to come to the assistance of the less privileged to ensure growth and development. We should not forget what the Book of Proverbs 11:25 says: “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself”.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, commended Okonkwo for his manifest selflessness and for putting the safety and comfort of ABUAD students who come from the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory beyond economic considerations.
Her words: “For the first time, someone is willingly and deliberately investing his wealth to power the vision and dream of our Founder, Aare Afe Babalola, in his self-imposed journey to institutionalize quality, functional and impactful education in Nigeria”.
She added: “This selfless and humanitarian gesture is appreciated the more when it is considered that it is exclusively made for ABUAD students and their parents. This is particularly commendable bearing in mind that the cost of Aviation fuel has hit the roof in recent times. This is in addition to the fact that most times, the Airlines comes to Ado-Ekiti with empty Aircrafts.
“This development represents far more than reduced travel costs. It offers peace of mind, comfort, convenience to both students and parents, and, most importantly, a safer and more reliable journey home after a demanding academic session. Every parent desires the safe return of his/her child after months of intense academic work, and every institution must continually seek practical ways to make that aspiration a reality.
“This latest intervention is a clear demonstration that strategic partnerships can deliver meaningful results when driven by sincerity, shared vision, and a genuine desire to make a difference.
Expressing admiration and appreciation to the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Olarinde pointed out that there are numerous ways of assisting the growth of education, including reduction in Air fares.
“The whole ABUAD community, under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, is eternally grateful to the leadership of United Nigeria Airlines”, she concluded.Olofintila, ABUAD’s Director of Corporate Affairs, writes from Ado-Ekiti.