Pembi David-Stephen.

The current Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, with a vision shaped by a deep understanding of history of air combat, has fundamentally repositioned the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), a body previously beset by significant deficits in funding, equipment, logistics and updated combat doctrine in a new-to-country conflict.

Today, the NAF is far better prepared to confront and defeat the foe, on multiple fronts and perhaps more importantly, remains firmly apolitical. For example, the obvious gains over the stubborn insurgency and militancy in the North East, being recorded by the military cannot be fully appreciated without recognizing the inputs of the Nigerian Air Force.

Perhaps more importantly CAS Abubakar has succeeded in inculcating the indispensable and core values of excellence, integrity and sincere service delivery into the force. A compelling demonstration that this paradigm shift is bearing fruit is the recent, nationally celebrated action of Aircraftman Bashir Umar, who found and returned the sum of 37,000 Euros to Alhaji Ahmad, the owner of the lost money at the Hajj Camp Market in the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

On July 25, 2019, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) granted accelerated promotion to Aircraftman Bashir Umar who was promoted two steps forward to the rank of Corporal. Umar has not only skipped the rank of Lance Corporal, but has attained a position that would have taken him over seven years of uninterrupted military service to reach. Clearly, Umar drew inspiration from the man leading his force from the cockpit.

With regard to the core value of excellence, similarly compelling examples abound. One of such is the outstanding performance of a NAF officer, Squadron Leader Fredrick Oyenusi, who broke an over 20-year record at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji last year by winning the prestigious “Tie of Merit” for obtaining a “B” grade on the course. Oyenusi’s feat was recognized during the graduation ceremony of Senior Staff Course 40, which took place at AFCSC Jaji on 26 July 2018. Squadron Leader Oyenusi also won 4 additional awards namely the Best in Tri-Service Terms, Best Commandant’s Paper, Best Director’s Paper in the Directorate of Air Warfare (DAW) and the First in order of Merit in DAW. The senior NAF officer, who is a C-130H aircraft pilot, holds 2 Masters degrees; one in Aerospace Vehicle Design and the other in Safety Engineering.

In a similar vein, the NAF participants also emerged best overall graduating participants and swept 8 of 13 awards in NDC Course 27 Graduation. The ceremony held on, 2 August 2019, in Abuja, with the President, Commander-in-Chief, Muhammadu Buhari, as the Special Guest of Honour. These positive developments are unprecedented in the NAF.

It could be recalled that after taking over the command and control cockpit of the NAF, Air Marshal Siddique dramatically altered the nation’s air force story by gradually creating a highly professional and disciplined force via capacity building initiatives for effective, efficient and timely employment of air power in response to Nigeria’s national security needs.

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NAF’s focussed acquisition of new platforms and reactivation of existing ones, under Abubakar’s watch in much of the last four years has proven to be pivotal in the significant grounds covered by the nation in the battle against terrorism and other shades of criminality.

By boldly tweaking the NAF’s organizational structure and expansion of its manpower strength, the force has recorded considerable progress in the crucial arenas of boosted professionalism, Research and Development (R&D), human capacity development and personnel welfare enhancement. There is more.

What are the key ingredients of Air Marshal Siddique’s transformation of the air defence component of the country’s armed forces?

At the outset of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency, and his appointment of Air Marshal Siddique as CAS, the Boko Haram sect was shockingly in control of over 20 Local Government Areas in the Northeastern part of the country. The air power component of the nation’s armed forces played a crucial role in liberating these territories from the Sect. Now effectively peripheralised, Boko Haram insurgents are mainly limited to the fringes of Lake Chad and parts of Sambisa and Alagarno Forests. This scenario has facilitated the return to their ancestral homes of many erstwhile displaced persons.

On the human capacity development front, the NAF has winged 92 pilots in the last four years alone, while 117 other student pilots are currently undergoing training both within and outside the country. It is noteworthy here that the female officer undergoing training in the US will become the first female fighter pilot in the history of the NAF. Similarly, another female pilot is currently undergoing training in South Africa to become the first NAF female helicopter pilot.

Additionally, the NAF has also built several facilities to further enhance training and operations effectiveness. On 26 April 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari, commissioned a new NAF Reference Hospital in Bauchi State. The 60-bed Hospital consists of an Accident and Emergency Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Twin Theatres, Radio Diagnostic Unit as well as Renal Dialysis, Ophthalmic, Dental, Physiotherapy, Maternal and New Born Units in addition to a Mortuary. It is also equipped with modern diagnostic and Life Support equipment intended to provide medical care to critically ill patients such as those wounded in combat. The NAF also upgraded medical equipment at its various medical centres around the country.

In all, the vision of Air Marshal Abubakar remains key: “To reposition the NAF into a highly professional and disciplined force through capacity building initiatives for effective, efficient and timely employment of air power in response to Nigeria’s national security imperatives.”  Abubakar believes that, while it is likely, not necessary for all team members to have the same level of historical comprehension as their leader, it is the leader’s responsibility to teach his team enough context to ensure that they all understand why you train in a particular way, lending credibility to the way you choose to prepare. That captures the essence of the man and certainly will ensure that posterity will remember him as a courageous,  charismatic, focused leader, who came, saw and conquered.

•Pembi, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.