The Nigerian Civil War that started in 1967 resulted in the introduction of a variety of aircraft and associated weapons systems into the service of the then young Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The introduction of these equipment brought with it the need for skilled manpower to operate and maintain the platforms. The NAF at that time relied solely on her foreign partners to develop these required manpower. Meanwhile, training slots offered by these friendly countries were not only limited, but also constituted a drain to the nation’s scarce foreign exchange due to their exorbitant cost. The past leaders subsequently thought of establishing an institution locally to provide basic training to NAF personnel in the fields of aircraft maintenance, armament technology, communication and automobile maintenance as well as supply management.

This idea was realized in 1977 with the support of Messrs Dornier GmBH of Germany when an institution, then known as NAF Technical and Supply School (TSS), was established in Kaduna. The TSS was renamed Technical Training Wing in 1979 under the Ground Training Group (GTG). In Year 1983, the unit was transformed into Technical Training Group (TTG) and renamed 320 TTG in the year 2000. The Institution has over the years grown in status and size. In the quest to ensure that the Service is properly positioned to meet contemporary technological challenges and those of the future, the curricular of 320 TTG was upgraded in 2004 to meet the requirements for the award of National Diploma. Since this arrangement caters for only the non-commissioned officers’ cadre, the NAF decided to broaden the scope of 320 TTG programmes through affiliation with Cranfield University in the United Kingdom for the running of postgraduate programmes in Aerospace Engineering for officer graduates of engineering/sciences from the NDA and other universities. This expansion in scope and responsibilities warranted an upgrade in the status of the 320 TTG to an institute of technology. Hence, the 320 TTG was formally transformed into the AFIT with effect from 12 March 2008.

The institution has over the years expanded its students’ intake to include personnel from Sister Services of Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Ministries Departments Agencies (MDA’s) and those from friendly African countries of Benin Republic, Ghana, Niger, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. Thus, AFIT is poised to be a centre of excellence in aerospace/aeronautical training and development.