The Nigerian Air Force training institutions and facilities are about to undergo significant upgrades.
The service’s capacity to acquire air supremacy over a emerging security challenges may soon be dependent on a career field that has been accustomed to solely combatting violent extremism, much like the rest of the Nigerian military.
To safeguard its assets from both local and international threats, the Nigerian Air Force would not be able to rely entirely on ground combat troops from other services. Instead, security forces airmen will have to pick up the slack in terms of protecting forward-deployed squadrons and, if required, resisting massive outside-the-wire attacks.
The Air Force leadership is pushing for a review of the Nigerian Air Force training institutions’ and facilities’ curriculum to prepare them for such a task.
In a statement released by the Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, said, “To be combat ready and operate at optimum levels to counter both domestic and foreign threats, the need to review the curriculum of its training institutions and facilities has become expedient.”
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This was mentioned by the CAS during a recent winging ceremony for select pilots and operators held at NAF Headquarters in Abuja. According to Air Marshal Amao, the NAF recently evaluated the curricula of the several schools at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) to ensure that they met required requirements, as well as performing instructor training to assure improved performance.
He also revealed that the Nigerian Defence Academy’s training curriculum for NAF cadets has been revised, with new criteria for NAF officers to be eligible for posting as instructors at the Academy.
“I have authorized the audit of selected institutions in the NAF, including flying schools, by a team of experienced retired senior officers with a view to upgrading the practices and facilities at the institutions to meet international standards and best practices,” said the CAS.
Special arrangements have also been made to upgrade operations training facilities to enhance the operational capacity of NAF operators in anticipation of increased tempo of air operations with the recently acquired platforms, while maintaining capacity building programs for the NAF Regiment in joint efforts for synergy of air-ground integrated operations with sister Services, he added.
According to the CAS, these efforts are aimed at positioning the institutions and facilities as centers of excellence that will create pilots, engineers, technicians, and other professionals who will be better equipped to carry out their constitutional tasks more effectively and efficiently.
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