Franklin Uyammadu, 19, from Anambra, has won the Face of Eastwing Competition. The Eastwing Aviation Institute in Enugu organised the contest through its youth foundation. The finale held on Monday in Enugu. His prize is a four-month Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) placement with an aviation company. He also won the 2025 edition. That victory earned him a full scholarship to study Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) at the institute.
Aviation training in Nigeria is expensive. Few institutions offer AME. Most young people cannot afford the fees. The Eastwing initiative aims to bridge that gap. It follows a pattern of private sector interventions in skills training. In 2021, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, expanded its programmes. But access remains limited.
Christian Agadibe, Executive Director of Eastwing Youth Foundation, said the school funded Uyammadu to the final stage of his AME. He said the institute is soliciting support for the top 10 finalists. “We believe these young people also deserve the opportunity to build careers in aviation,” he said. The 2026 edition is ongoing. The top 10 are undergoing training ahead of the summit on 3 October in Enugu. Agadibe appealed to philanthropists and organisations to sponsor the finalists. Uyammadu said the scholarship brought him closer to his dream. “Starting my IT in aviation has made the journey even more real,” he said.
Winners: Uyammadu, who gets training and experience. Eastwing, which demonstrates its impact. The aviation industry, which gains a trained recruit. Losers: Other finalists who lack sponsorship. Young people outside the competition. The sector, if funding gaps persist.
Bottom Line: One student got a scholarship. Ten more need sponsors. Aviation training remains a rich man’s game unless private money scales.