The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Thursday held a retreat for its Commanders as part of efforts to evolve strategies to meet the requirements of the ever-changing national-security environment.
The theme of the retreat was “Enhancing Efficiency and Effectiveness of NAF Unit Commanders in Contemporary Security Environment”
Speaking at the opening of the 2020 commanders’ retreat in Abuja, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said it was to enhance the capacity of commanders and potential commanders in the NAF.
“We are all obliged to protect the sovereignty and sanctity of our dear country, Nigeria; the unity, as well as the protection of lives and properties of the inhabitants.
“These can only be achieved through a sound mind, renewed orientation and re-evaluation of our actions and inactions as leaders.
“It is also pertinent to remind ourselves of the contemporary asymmetric nature of warfare, which has defied the conventional battle.
“We must recognise that this war cannot be fought in isolation of the civil populace, hence the need to integrate and win the hearts and minds of the civilian populace towards gaining intelligence to further our missions and operation.
“I must also reiterate that in the midst of economic challenges, resources at our disposal, as commanders, must be utilised prudently towards the attainment of set objectives,” he said.
Abubakar assured the commanders that the Headquarters NAF was working assiduously to ensure that the mandate assigned to the NAF was achieved.
“As such, commanders should remain assured of our support towards the successful conduct of missions and operations.
“I, therefore, employ you all to maximise the opportunity afforded by this retreat to learn from the experiences of our retired colleagues, rub minds and clear grey areas,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief of Policy and Plans, AVM Isyaka Amao, noted that the retreat was a forum where commanders in the NAF were equipped with specific training and information as regards command responsibilities and duties.
He said that the 2020 retreat was necessitated by the recent appointment of various officers in the NAF to command appointments.
Amao noted that the dynamics of the contemporary security situation required commanders to be flexible in discharging command responsibilities of which shared ideas and experiences could greatly help.
He thanked the CAS for providing the enabling environment as well as the resources to make the retreat possible.
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