NAF IS COMMITTED TO HUMAN CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, CAS ASSERTS, AS AFIT GRADUATES 302 PERSONNEL FROM ITS SUNDRY MILITARY COURSES

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, on 10 September 2025, asserted that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) was committed to the continuous capacity development of its personnel to maintain the current momentum in operations. The CAS stated this during the graduation ceremony of 302 personnel of the NAF, comprising 69 officers and 233 airmen/airwomen, from the military sundry courses conducted by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna.
Air Mshl HB Abubakar disclosed that for nearly 5 decades, the Air Force Institute of Technology has faithfully fulfilled its mandate as the premier source of technical manpower for the Nigerian Air Force, while steadily evolving into a multi-disciplinary academic and research centre of excellence, adding that the Institute’s enduring impact was evident in the production of highly skilled professionals, pioneering research, and innovative solutions that have enhanced aircraft maintenance, improved operational readiness, and advanced NAF quest for self-reliance in airpower employment. These achievements, he noted have made AFIT to stand tall as one of the most sought-after institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. He acknowledged AFIT’s growing positive reputation which was built on academic excellence, strict discipline, zero tolerance for strikes and adherence to the principle of federal character.

The Chief of the Air Staff who was the Guest of Honour at the graduation ceremony recalled his days as a student of the prestigious Institute in 1992 when he graduated as the best student in his course as well as the overall best graduating student for the entire sundry military courses for that year. He went on to note that the establishment of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) North-West Technology Innovation Hub within AFIT’s premises, stands as a resounding testament to the Institute’s pivotal role in advancing Nigeria’s technological sovereignty and defence self-reliance.

While congratulating the graduands on attaining a significant milestone in their careers, Air Marshal Abubakar reminded them that they were rejoining the mainstream of the Nigerian Air Force at a pivotal time when the call for a technological revolution within the Service has never been louder and when the arrival of new-generation aircraft with highly sophisticated systems would demand nothing less than the best from NAF technicians and engineers. He thanked the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his visionary leadership and unflinching support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria especially the Nigerian Air Force, without which the current level of operational successes would not have been possible.

Earlier, the Commandant of the Institute, Air Vice Marshal Sani Labaran Rabe, while appreciating the relentless support of the current NAF leadership under the incumbent CAS, said despite the expansion of AFIT and the modification of its mandate, the Institute has not lost focus on its primary role of producing quality technical manpower for the NAF. He added that the AFIT Management was doing everything possible to enhance the quality of the training programmes as well as provision of a conducive environment to ease learning for the students.

It would be recalled that AFIT is the only institution of higher learning in Nigeria that trains undergraduate students under the National Universities Commission, diploma students under the National Board for Technical Education, and military students under the Nigerian Air Force supervision. AVM Rabe stated that the current leadership of AFIT was steadfast in aligning with the Chief of the Air Staff’s philosophy of ‘transforming the NAF into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the air power demands of national security in all operational environments’ by focusing on the philosophy’s key enabler of deliberate training and mission oriented force development. He urged the students to be good ambassadors of AFIT by demonstrating competence and dedication in their various units.

Bassey Ibiang Okon PhD
Wing Commander
Director of Public Relations
Air Force Institute of Technology
Kaduna