ILARO, Ogun State – The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the lives of Nigerians beyond its constitutional responsibility of defending the nation’s territorial integrity with the commissioning of a Special Intervention Project at Baptist High School, Ilaro, Ogun State.
The project, facilitated by retired Air Vice Marshal Sayo Olatunde under the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Special Intervention Programme, was inaugurated on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, and is expected to provide a more conducive learning environment for students, reduce classroom congestion and restore critical science facilities to enhance quality education.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, represented by the Director of Cooperation and Coordination at Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Christopher Enejo Akpa, said the initiative demonstrates the Air Force’s enduring commitment to positively impacting communities through meaningful non-kinetic interventions.
He described education as one of the most powerful instruments for national development, stressing that the NAF would continue to invest in projects that improve the welfare of Nigerians while strengthening the relationship between the military and host communities.
“The Nigerian Air Force remains committed to initiatives that positively impact communities across the country. Education is one of the most powerful tools for national development, and we will continue to support interventions that create opportunities for young Nigerians to thrive,” he said.
Air Marshal Aneke commended the project’s facilitator, Air Vice Marshal Sayo Olatunde (Rtd), for identifying a critical educational need within the school and translating it into a legacy project that would benefit generations of students.
He also urged the school’s management, staff and students to ensure the proper maintenance of the new facility to preserve its value for future users.
Representing the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Special Adviser on Education praised the Nigerian Air Force for demonstrating that national security goes beyond military operations to include investments that improve the quality of life of citizens.
According to the governor’s representative, the intervention underscores the importance of collaboration between government institutions and the military in promoting education and community development.
Earlier, the facilitator of the project, Air Vice Marshal Sayo Olatunde (Rtd), explained that the intervention was conceived to address a long-standing infrastructure challenge confronting Baptist High School.
He disclosed that the school’s science laboratories, originally built about 40 years ago, had gradually been converted into classrooms due to inadequate learning spaces, depriving students of functional science facilities.
Olatunde said the newly completed Air Force Legacy Building would accommodate students currently occupying the laboratories, thereby allowing the school authorities to renovate and restore the science laboratories to their original purpose.
He expressed optimism that the project would significantly improve the quality of science education in the school while providing students with a more conducive environment for learning.
The Chief of the Air Staff Special Intervention Project forms part of the Nigerian Air Force’s civil-military cooperation initiatives aimed at supporting education, healthcare and other community development programmes across the country while fostering stronger ties with the civilian population.
