NAF pushes safety, operational excellence at annual review board

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reaffirmed its commitment to operational excellence and force protection with the successful convening of its Second Safety Review Board (SRB) meeting for 2025.

As the Air Force’s highest decision-making body on safety, the SRB serves as a strategic platform for reviewing air and ground incidents, analysing emerging trends, and setting policy directions aimed at strengthening the Service’s Safety Management System across all operational domains.

While declaring the meeting open recently at NAF Headquarters in Abuja, Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), described the Board as a critical pillar of the NAF’s safety governance architecture.

He stressed that safety remains fundamental to mission readiness, operational effectiveness, and the welfare of personnel.

Aneke disclosed that upon assuming office, he constituted a committee comprising serving and retired senior officers to carry out an objective appraisal of key operational, engineering, and armament formations.

The committee, he said, was tasked with identifying risks and closing safety gaps before they escalate into incidents. In line with a systems-based and proactive safety philosophy, the scope of the SRB was expanded to include members of the appraisal committee and other experienced senior officers to enrich discussions and ensure sustainable safety outcomes.

The CAS also highlighted notable achievements recorded by the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Safety, Ipetu-Ijesha, particularly in safety capacity building. He noted that several flight and ground safety courses were successfully conducted in 2025, while interest from foreign armed forces in training at the Institute continues to grow.

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He further revealed that a committee has been established to develop modalities for the accreditation of the Institute, and urged commanders and safety professionals to sustain performance-driven safety management, especially as new platforms are inducted and critical infrastructure upgraded.

According to the CAS, safety excellence remains inseparable from operational success and will continue to guide the Nigerian Air Force’s pursuit of mission effectiveness and personnel protection.