NAF signs MoU to improve safety within Nigeria’s airspace

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has entered into agreement  with the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON) for the improvement of flight safety within the military aviation circle.
The Minister of Defence, Major General. Bashir Magashi (rtd), who witnessed the signing of the agreement at NAF Safety Seminar 2022 explained that the peculiarities of air operations had placed an additional burden on the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to take the lead in safety matters in strategic,  operational and tactical warfare.

Magashi who was represented by Malam Dahiru Muhammad, further  said: “Military aviation safety is of great concern to us at the Ministry of Defence, particularly because aviation accidents can erode the ministry’s overall war fighting capabilities in many tangible and intangible ways.
“Apart from the loss of expensive platforms, the accompanying irreplaceable losses of well trained and highly skilled personnel often have adverse effects on the nation at large.
“During minor incidents or accidents, injury to personnel and aircraft often lead to loss of valuable manhours, while affected personnel or aircraft are grounded during the period of accident.”
The minister said that aircraft accidents and incidents exerted enormous, moral and economic pressure on the nation, Therefore all hands must always be on deck to ensure and maintain high safety standards in all environments, be it at home, workplace or theatres of operation.
He said that safety will significantly contribute to the improvement of the well-being and capacity of personnel in their fight against terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other security challenges Nigeria is confronted with.
The minister commended the NAF hierarchy and all personnel of the force their unrelenting efforts in ensuring a secure and safe Nigeria, explaining that the performance of the NAF personnel in the fight against insecurity of Nigeria is very laudable.
He noted that, “Particularly worthy of commendation is the prompt deployment of your air assets and crew in recent efforts to destroy the enclaves of insurgents and bandits in various parts of the country.
“I assure you that the Federal Government will continue to support the NAF in furtherance of efforts to position the service as a leading air force in Africa.
“With the new, modern and well-equipped platforms that have been acquired, and many more that we are expecting, we are on the right track to attaining this feat.”
The minister said that the successes recorded so far by the NAF and the entire Nigerian military were made possible through the unwavering support of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Magashi said that President Buhari  had made that enabling environment possible for the NAF and Nigerian Armed Forces as a whole to display their ingenuity and capabilities.
Also, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshall Isiaka Amao, said that past experiences had revealed that non-compliance with basic aviation safety rules often led to dire consequences, adding that,  “Failure to strictly follow established standard safety procedures or to review and operate them regularly, especially after an incident, can result in avoidable tragedy.
“This re-emphasises the need for our pilots and grand crew to take extra safety precautions and measures during air and ground operations.
“The theme of the seminar aptly captures the operational context within which we employ our safety management system.”
The Air Force Chief said that the NAF had brought empowered capabilities to bear on insurgent and criminal elements thus, denying them their hitherto safe heavens and freedom of action.
“This is made possible by sustained intense rate of effort of our capable staff, who work day and night to ensure optimum aircraft accessibility and availability for conduct of operations,” he said.
The CAS said that in accomplishing their mandate, there were inherent risks which must proactively be mitigated in order not to jeopardise operational effectiveness.
“There is a direct correlation between safety and operational efficiency which makes it an imperative for us to give it all the attention it deserves.
“It is in realisation of thy that the NAF has made safety central to its operational and non-operational activities,” Amao said.