By Sumaila Ogbaje, NAN
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has unveiled 15 viable infrastructure projects in Abuja, to improve personnel welfare and enhance the operational capabilities of the Service.
The projects were inaugurated as part of the activities to commemorate the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
This is contained in a statement by AVM Edward Gabkwet, the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Gabkwet listed some of the key projects located at NAF Base, Asokoro, to include a 40-bed NAF Hospital, sports complex, NAF Microfinance Bank, fire bay, and a 56-shop market plaza.
He said that the CAS also inaugurated the NAF Airmen Mini Base in Karu; Officers Quarters in Garki and Karimu, a 6-floor new NAF Headquarters Annex Building at Gudu and a brand new state-of-the-art Airport Commandant’s office at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The CAS, he said, also conducted the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed NAF Centre of Excellence Complex situated at Bill Clinton Drive, along the Airport Road.
According to Gabkwet, the Centre will house the Institute of Airpower Studies; Air Force War College, Air Warfare Centre, and Air to Ground Integration School.
“It is envisaged that when completed, the centre would offer first-rate air power education and learning as well as foster innovation in air power doctrinal development.
The statement Abubakar as saying that NAF has been struggling with housing shortage due to its expanded force structure, adding that the challenge was being tackled head-on by his leadership.
He emphasised that the initiatives had fulfilled a key element of his command philosophy, which is “maintaining a highly motivated force by enhancing welfare and infrastructural renewal”.
The CAS said it was imperative for NAF to properly claim and secure all its properties, stressing that the NAF’s resolve to safeguard its assets and reclaim encroached lands would assist in creating space for future operational facilities and accommodations for its growing workforce.
According to him, as the NAF celebrates its 60th anniversary, the unveiling of these projects aligns with his transformative agenda to reposition the force for continued growth and development, while also serving as a fitting tribute to NAF’s six decades of service and sacrifice.
“These advancements not only bolster the NAF’s operational capabilities but also significantly elevate the welfare of its personnel, ensuring the force is well-prepared to confront future challenges,” he said.
Abubakar urged NAF personnel to make the most of those facilities and expressed gratitude to the President Bola Tinubu, for his unwavering support. (NAN)