The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has charged newly graduated regiment personnel to remain vigilant and committed to defending the nation as the Service continues to upscale its capabilities to meet emerging security threats.
He urged graduands to intensify efforts in protecting national assets and enhance civilian protection amidst the nation’s complex and evolving security environment.
The CAS gave this charge recently during the combined graduation ceremony of the Basic Regiment Officers Course 20/2025 and Basic Regiment Airmen/Airwomen Course 33/2025, held at the Regiment Training Centre (RTC), Kaduna.
During the graduation, a total of 483 personnel, comprising 34 officers and 449 airmen/airwomen, successfully completed their training.
Represented at the event by the Air Officer Commanding, Air Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Dari, the CAS emphasized that the Nigerian Air Force remains resolute in its mission to confront insurgency, banditry, and other internal security threats through enhanced capacity building and operational readiness.
He underscored the importance of securing critical air assets, and adapting to new dimensions of warfare driven by militancy, terrorism, and other criminalities that continue to test national resilience.
“Accordingly, we are revitalizing capabilities, developing new ones, and adapting processes to meet emerging security demands,” he stated, stressing that the modern battlespace has become increasingly complex and unpredictable.
He reaffirmed his commitment to repositioning the Nigerian Air Force as a combat-ready and adaptive force, pledging to sustain training and strategic investments in force protection to ensure the Service remains decisive in current and future operations.
According to the CAS, a sustainable and functional Air Force must be built on disciplined personnel who possess not only technical competence but also the moral strength to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty at all times.
He commended the Commandant, staff, and instructors of the RTC for their dedication to grooming the next generation of defenders of the nation’s airpower, assuring them of his continued support for the Regiment’s training drive.
The newly graduated personnel also completed the specialized Force Protection in Complex Air-Ground Environment training, designed to prepare them for real-world operational environments.
Their proficiency was demonstrated through dynamic displays of Krav Maga combat techniques, precision skill-at-arms drills, and rappelling exercises, reflecting enhanced operational readiness capacity. Commending the graduands for their discipline and dedication, the CAS urged them to uphold the NAF’s core values of loyalty, honesty, courage, and discipline as they assume their new duties. “Protect all Nigerians and avoid any act that could tarnish the image of our great Service,” he charged.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commandant, Regiment Training Centre, Air Commodore CO Olayera, expressed appreciation to the NAF leadership for its unwavering commitment to building a capable and professional Regiment.
He noted that at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with insurgency and banditry, the knowledge and discipline acquired by the new graduates will significantly enhance the Air Force’s ability to defend critical assets, and contribute decisively to joint operations aimed at restoring peace and stability across the nation.
The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including the Air Officer Commanding, Ground Training Command, Air Vice Marshal AA Shinkafi; representatives of the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army; Commandant, Nigerian Air Force School of Infantry; Director of Regiment (DOREGT), Air Commodore SS Lazarus, other NAF Commanders and Commandants within Kaduna; and Air Commodore Adagboyi (rtd), former DOREGT.
The Nigerian Air Force reassures Nigerians of its unwavering commitment to inter-agency cooperation and synergy with other security services in the collective fight against terrorism, insurgency, and criminality, while remaining steadfast in its duty to protect the nation and uphold democratic values.
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