Transformation, Innovation Central To Armed Forces Resilience – Air Chief
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has reaffirmed that transformation, innovation, and the collective will to fight remain central to strengthening the effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
Speaking at the Third Quarter 2025 Defence Headquarters and Services Transformation Seminar, held on Thursday, 25 September 2025 at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, Abuja, Air Marshal Abubakar described the forum as a milestone in advancing strategies for operational readiness and national defence.
He commended military personnel deployed across the six geopolitical zones for their resilience in restoring peace, law, and order through joint and inter-agency operations.
Highlighting the seminar’s theme, “Galvanizing the Will to Fight: Issues and Transformative Solutions for the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” the CAS stressed that victory in battle goes beyond modern equipment and welfare support.
Quoting General Erwin Rommel, he said, “The best form of welfare for troops is first class training,” noting that resilience, loyalty, trust, and cohesion within units are indispensable assets.
He revealed that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken deliberate steps to enhance airpower application, boost personnel training, incentivize innovation, and revive its Surveillance Aircraft (NAFSA) Eagle Project to advance self-reliance in aerospace technology.
On welfare, Air Marshal Abubakar pointed to several initiatives aimed at improving morale, including extensive accommodation projects, the establishment of the Nigerian Air Force College of Logistics, upgraded medical facilities, improved insurance packages, and the procurement of over 70 operational vehicles in the past year.
He further noted that fitness programs and full kitting of personnel have ensured greater readiness for duty.
Earlier, the Chief of Transformation and Innovation at Headquarters NAF, Air Vice Marshal AH Amesinlola, lauded participants for their dedication, describing the seminar as a vital platform for inter-service collaboration and problem-solving.
Declaring the event open, Air Marshal Abubakar expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, for his unwavering support to the Armed Forces, even as he urged participants to generate solutions that will fortify the nation’s collective will to fight.
