NAF Conducts Maiden Safety Management Systems Training For Senior Commanders
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced its first-ever Safety Management Systems (SMS) training for senior officers.
NAF’s spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, in a statement on Wednesday described the training as “marking a major step toward embedding predictive and accountable safety practices across the Service”.
The two-day workshop, held from 9 to 10 December 2025 in partnership with Asfaro Edu Safety Consult, follows recommendations from the July 2025 Safety Review Board to institutionalise SMS awareness among top leadership.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, reaffirmed the NAF’s commitment to strengthening operational foresight. He noted that “Safety is not just a procedure; it is leadership in action,” adding that the training underscores the Service’s determination to anticipate risks, manage them early and protect its personnel, assets and mission outcomes.
Declaring the workshop open, the Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Ebimobo Ebiowe, explained that the programme aligns with the CAS’s push for a proactive, data-driven and transparent safety culture. He highlighted the Service’s shift from a preventive to a predictive model that integrates risk management into planning and execution, anchored on the four SMS pillars: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion.
AVM Ebiowe urged participants to apply SMS principles in their command decisions, noting that the training is expected to improve reporting integrity, reinforce compliance across aviation, ground and administrative operations, and boost the NAF’s overall safety posture. He encouraged officers to engage actively, share insights and help entrench a Service-wide culture of vigilance, transparency and continuous improvement.
