By Joy Odor
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has marked a significant milestone, achieving one year without an aircraft mishap.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, disclosed this during the 2025 Safety Review Board (SRB) Meeting held on 22 July 2025, at the Air Marshal MD Umar Blue Room, Headquarters NAF, Abuja.
The CAS attributed the achievement to deliberate institutional reforms, expanded safety training, enhanced command-level oversight, and the adoption of predictive safety management practices.
Over 1,300 airmen and 157 officers have undergone comprehensive safety induction and awareness training in 2025 alone.
Air Marshal Abubakar emphasized the importance of sustained investment in human capacity alongside technological advancements.
He stressed that safety must be a core value, not just a metric of performance, and urged senior commanders to lead by example.
The NAF remains focused on ensuring that its assets operate within the highest safety parameters as the Federal Government continues to enhance Nigeria’s airpower with modern platforms.
“This is a significant achievement, one that underscores the collective commitment and vigilance of our personnel,” he said. “Safety is not a one-time achievement, but a continuous process requiring foresight, innovation, and accountability.
“Our goal is to make safety education universal within our ranks,” the Air Marshal noted, emphasizing the need for sustained investment in human capacity alongside technological advancements.
“We must remain vigilant and avoid the trap of complacency. Most aviation accidents are not caused by fate, but by lapses in judgment, communication, or adherence to procedures,” he warned.
Commending the efforts of Air Officers Commanding in sustaining quarterly Safety Action Group meetings, CAS called greater accountability and activity at the unit level, underscoring that the responsibility for safety must be shared and internalized across the force.
“No matter how advanced an aircraft may be, its effectiveness is ultimately determined by the safety environment in which it operates,” the CAS stated.
In his welcome remarks, the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Abidoye, provided insight into the operational backbone of the NAF’s safety system.
“With the support of the CAS, we conducted evaluation visits to 58 units in the first half of 2025 and completed safety inspections in 31,” he said.
He disclosed that safety awareness seminars had been held across multiple commands, reinforcing the culture of safety consciousness.
The SRB meeting closed with a renewed commitment from leadership to institutionalize safety as a core value.
