Gideon Arinze in Enugu
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday urged the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to increase its local capacity building through practical and purposeful collaboration with technological-innovative institutions, industries, and individuals to tackle emerging security challenges in the country.
The president made the suggestion during the 2023 Nigerian Air Force Day and 59th-anniversary held at the NAF Base, Emene, Enugu State.
Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said the Force must strive to expand its collaboration beyond the military with the academia, civilian technologists and independent innovators as well as creators and think-tanks.
According to him, there is a great amount of potential waiting to be unleashed from this collaboration and partnership. I have had discussion with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao who told me that collaborations with our universities and research institutions were already ongoing, but there is a need to expand on it.
He noted that within the last four years and running, his administration had committed substantial national resources to enhance the overall capabilities of the Armed Forces, especially the NAF.
He said: “The huge investments in expanding the capacity of the NAF have led to the turning of the tide against insecurity and activities of other violent non-state actors in our nation all this while.
“We must commend the renewed focus on research and innovation and self-reliance of the present CAS which is far-sighted and it builds on the tradition the air force had established over the years of this administration,” he said.
The high point of the event was the induction of some new platforms for the NAF, including DA-62 (Special Mission Aircraft) and Wing Loong II (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle).
The event was attended by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao; and a representative of the Chief of Navy Staff.
