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…As AWC graduates 15 from Air War Course 9/2023
From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
The Air War College (AWC), Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi, has graduated 15 participants from the Air War Course 9/2023.
The graduation took place on Tuesday, at the Nigerian Air Force Officers Mess, in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
Speaking at the Graduation Ceremony of the Air War Course 9/2023, the Minister Of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, who was the special guest of honour, restated the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to continued to support the Nigerian Armed Forces and indeed all security agencies in the country to enable them tackle cases of insecurity.
The minister represented by the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their laudable performance in collectively combating the threats to national security.
He lamented that “Threats by non-state armed actors in asymmetric warfare are on the rise creating a significantly more complex strategic environment at the global, regional and national levels. The dynamic nature of these threats poses new challenges to security forces and they require innovative and proactive methods in tackling them.
“To this end, I must commend the efforts of the Nigerian Air Force at constantly repositioning itself with strong focus on human capital development to strengthen its operational effectiveness.”
According to him, Air power, as a decisive and indispensable aspect of the physical components of combat power, has remained a formidable force in the preservation of our Nation’s territorial integrity.
He stated that President Tinubu administration will continued to support the Armed Forces and indeed all security agencies in the country to enable them tackle cases of insecurity.
He described the graduation of the participants as another landmark in the history of the College which is the highest professional military training institution in the Nigerian Air Force adding “There is no doubt that the Air Force War College has rapidly evolved over time and is now an established citadel of learning for transiting tactical level officers into operational level commanders.
“The effectiveness of this transition is critical to containing effectively the myriads of emerging security challenges confronting Nigeria today including terrorism, conventional as well as criminal insurgencies in addition to ethno-religious and similar conflicts.
“These challenges have negatively impacted on our unity, peace and progress. The situation has made it inevitable for the military to get involved in the internal security operations in the country.
He said the contribution of the institution to human capacity development in the Armed Forces of Nigeria is better viewed through the prism of current successes recorded by the military in various theatres of operations across the nation.
The Minister congratulated the graduands for successfully completing the training, the commandant, members of faculty and supporting staff of the College for their resolute dedication and relentless efforts towards the training of the graduands and the family members and friends of graduands saying “it must be gratifying for you to see that your support and prayers yielded the desired results.
He also commended the efforts of the Chief of the Air Staff and his team for their relentless and pragmatic efforts in taking the Nigerian Air Force to an enviable level of professionalism saying “Your dedication and focus have been invaluable at this crucial moment in our Nation’s history.”
Welcoming the dignitaries, the Commandant Air War College Nigerian Air Force Air Vice Marshal AG Kehinde said the Command Philosophy which is ‘deliberate training and mission-oriented force development’ has been the driving force of academic activities of the College especially since he took over as the commandant.
The College academic activities is tailored towards bridging the skill and manpower gap in the field of air power for effective conduct of air operations in the NAF.
“That, today we are graduating the ninth set of participants is a clear indication that the laudable idea has indeed taken its root for the overall benefit of the NAF and indeed our dear nation.
The commandant explained that the Air Force War College Course 9 which was inaugurated on January 13, 2023 comprised of 15 Senior Officers; 10 wing commanders of the Nigerian Air Force, 2 lieutenant colonels from the Nigerian Army, 2 commanders from the Nigerian Navy and 1 wing commander from the Cameroonian Air Force.
He said he was convinced that the active participation in all College activities has further broaden and strengthen the knowledge of the participants on air operations and are ready to contribute their quota in the effective employment of air power in Nigeria and beyond.
He appreciated the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Distinguish Flying Star for his inspirational leadership and continuous encouragement and support to the college.
Meanwhile, Benue State Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has applauded the Nigerian Air Force and all security agencies in the state for their effort at restoring peace in the state.
He said Benue as an agrarian state has witnessed series of attacks and killings, noted that peace was gradually returning to the state since May 2023 and expressed hope that the relative peace currently experienced will continue.
Governor Alia who congratulated the graduands and all officers who knows the essence of peace to the nation saying while their event is great day for them, he said it was a blessing for the people of Benue State.
