The Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi has commended the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for expanding its force structure to address the emerging security challenges confronting the Nation.
He also commended them for exploiting local content and resources to address equipment maintenance gaps through Research and Development (R&D).
The Minister, who was represented by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, made this commendation on Friday at the 6th Graduation Ceremony of participants of the Air Force War College (AFWC) Course 6/2020 held at NAF Base Makurdi.
Magashi lauded the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for not only being the first to establish a single Service War College, but also for successfully graduating the sixth set of participants from the College.
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Speaking further, the HMOD, while highlighting that the Country is currently experiencing different forms of internal security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed banditry and, more recently, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, noted that the Armed Forces has performed creditably well in mitigating most of the challenges.
He asserted that Air Power, being a critical component of the Country’s military instrument of national power, has remained a formidable tool in the preservation of the Nation’s territorial integrity.
“Aside the efforts of the NAF towards enhancing internal security in the country, the Service has also attracted tremendous goodwill and credibility to the Nation through the provision of airlift and humanitarian support for the African Union, United Nations and friendly African countries”, he said.
“The nature of these challenges makes it necessary to be innovative and explore contemporary ways and means to tackle them. Invariably, doctrinal development, force structure, planning and equipment provisioning for asymmetric warfare have become much more challenging problems than what is obtainable in a conventional war”, he noted.
While congratulating the graduands for completing their training, the HMOD noted that they had shown courage and determination to be able to achieve the feat.
General Magashi said he was glad that the NAF had seized the opportunity to create an avenue for operational and strategic level thinking at the AFWC. “As the air arm of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the NAF has been playing significant and crucial roles in the ongoing counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, where air force officers, airmen and airwomen have performed gallantly.
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” I am particularly proud of the innovative steps that the NAF has taken within the last few years, as it strives to revitalize and boost its capacity to fulfill its mandate to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity”, he said.
Making some brief remarks during the ceremony, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom, who was represented by the State Deputy Governor, Engineer Benson Abonu, appreciated the NAF for its immense contributions towards ensuring security in the State and Nigeria as a whole.
He also lauded the bold initiatives taken by the CAS to establish the AFWC as well as many other pacesetting, landmark innovations, which, he said, had enhanced the stature of the Service and improved its operational effectiveness.
“You deserve all the accolades for taking the NAF to enviable heights. You have indeed written your name in gold and far exceeded the achievements of your predecessors”, the Governor said.
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He urged the graduating participants to emulate the outstanding leadership qualities of the CAS by upholding the high standards of professionalism for which the NAF is known in order to make valuable contributions to national development.
In his welcome address, the Commandant AFWC, Air Vice Marshal Dalhat Ladan, stated that the graduands had satisfactorily undergone all the required training, and met the prerequisite for the award of Fellow of the AFWC.
According to him, they were therefore ready to contribute their quota, to the effective, efficient and timely employment of Air Power in Nigeria and beyond.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information , Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola in a statement said the 17 participants of Course 6 of the College, comprising 14 NAF officers, one Nigerian Army (NA) officer and 2 officers from the Nigerian Navy (NN), had undergone over 6 months of intensive training in the application of Air Power in both joint and independent operations.
He said they were engaged with various assessed classroom, war gaming and simulation exercises, after which they prepared and submitted a major research paper.
According to him,The AFWC course has adequately equipped the participants with broad knowledge on campaign planning and operational warfare. Although the AFWC curriculum mostly comprises air warfare studies, the College ensures that it exposes participants to an appreciable level of training as well as research in the area of security and defence studies. To reinforce lessons learnt from the African and regional studies module of the Course, participants of AFWC Course 6 visited Cameroun and Niger Republics on study tour.
Highlights of the ceremony for include: conferment of fellowship and presentation of AFWC certificates to the graduating participants. Prizes were also given to participants who distinguished themselves on the Course.
Wing Commander Kehinde Akinyosade won the Best all Round Award for emerging first in order of merit and also won the Award for the Best Individual Research Paper. Commander (NN) Abubakar Giginya bagged the CAS’ Best Sister Services Participant’s Award as well as the Best Cooperating Participant’s Award, while Wing Commander Hussaini Ajibogwu won the Best in Air Power Award.
Other dignitaries at the event included the representatives of the Chiefs of Army and Naval Staff, members of the Benue State Executive Council as well as several senior military officers, both serving and retired.
