The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to strengthening national education security through a strategic partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
He made this known on 1st December 2025 during a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, in Abuja, where he described education as “the foundation upon which a safer and more secure Nigeria is built.”
Air Marshal Aneke noted that collaboration between security agencies and education stakeholders has become critical due to evolving threats targeting learning environments.
He highlighted the Nigerian Air Force’s role in promoting secure, inclusive, and technology-driven schooling across its 33 educational institutions nationwide, 20 Primary and 13 Secondary, serving both military and civilian populations.
“Our responsibility extends beyond protecting communities to nurturing the future of the Nigerian child,” he stated.
The CAS further explained that the NAF is already implementing measures to enhance teacher development, digital literacy, and facility upgrades across its schools.
However, he emphasized that stronger collaboration with UBEC would expand the reach and impact of these efforts, particularly in deploying modern safe-school technologies and learning systems.
“A well-educated child today becomes a productive citizen tomorrow,” Air Marshal Aneke remarked, underscoring the long-term security gains of safe, functional, and well-equipped learning environments.
He outlined priority areas for partnership, including interventions to upgrade NAF schools to accommodate more students, collaborative teacher training programs, integration into UBEC’s digital education platforms, and joint quality assurance mechanisms.
He also welcomed deeper cooperation under UBEC’s Safe School Programme to bolster monitoring, accountability, and nationwide protection of basic education institutions, particularly those in conflict-prone areas.
In her response, Dr Aisha Garba, Executive Secretary of UBEC, expressed the Commission’s readiness to strengthen strategic collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force.
She commended the Service for its contributions to national development beyond its defence mandate, stating that “no education system can thrive without safety, and no security framework is complete without education.” She welcomed the proposed areas of cooperation and affirmed UBEC’s commitment to sustained technical engagement that enhances school safety, improves learning delivery, and builds resilience across Nigeria’s basic education sector.
With this engagement, the Nigerian Air Force reaffirms its commitment to the national Safe School agenda and the broader Renewed Hope vision of ensuring that every Nigerian child, whether in military or civilian communities, has access to quality education in a secure and supportive environment.
Air Marshal Aneke emphasized that partnerships such as this are vital to building a safer, smarter, and more prosperous Nigeria, where security and education work hand in hand to shape the nation’s future.
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