NAF Seeks Solutions to Incessant Air Mishaps 

Ikechukwu Aleke in Abuja 

The High Command of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has called for the emplacement of appropriate actions to break the incessant air mishaps involving its platforms so as to enshrine a good safety culture that transcends all levels in the NAF.

The NAF also noted that the actions or inactions of all its personnel will help to either propel or break the accident chain sometimes experienced in the course of its activities or operations.

Speaking at the 2024 NAF Safety Review Board (SRB) meeting at NAF Headquarters, Abuja, Tuesday, the  Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, said NAF cannot afford to pay lip service to issues relating to safety.

A statement by NAF spokesperson, AVM Edward Gabkwet, quoted the air chief as saying: “As members of the Safety Review Board, it is vital that we thoroughly examine all the safety issues arising from this meeting and come up with objective and innovative ideas that would enhance safety in the NAF. While we all know that safety is a collective responsibility, this Board is primarily accountable for safety administration in the NAF.”

While noting that accidents are the results of a sequence of events, beginning with deliberate decisions taken, Abubakar also called for determination of all personnel to improve safety in the various areas units. 

He said NAF regards safety as one of its core functions and is committed to developing, implementing and reviewing policies to ensure that all activities are conducted in a safe and conducive environment. 

The air chief assured Nigerians that NAF will intensify efforts to enhance safety, as it continues its transformation into, “an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environments”.  

The CAS also noted that more interesting and auspicious days lie ahead for NAF in view of government’s commitment to equipping it with modern platforms, stressing the need for a proactive and enhanced safety culture.

Earlier, the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, AVM Micheal Onyebashi, revealed that the SRB is the apex body of the NAF Safety Management Structure designed as a biannual meeting that deliberates on major policy, resource allocation and regulatory issues relating to safety. 

He said the board is required to give direction and guidelines that would ensure the entrenchment of a healthy safety culture in NAF.  

 Onyebashi noted that NAF has since commenced the introduction of safety education at all its entry points and training institutions as directed in the last SRB, as well as leveraging the online learning infrastructure at the Air Warfare Centre, Abuja, to sustain an appreciable level of safety education across NAF. 

He further noted that with the reactivation of its platforms, as well as the induction of additional platforms, the need for the SRB commands and units to work assiduously to ensure that safety standards are maintained in all its activities is imperative. 

He reminded the Board of its responsibility to proffer strategies and ideas that would enable NAF to experience continuous improvement of safety in all its operations.

In a paper titled, ‘Senior Managers’ Role In Organizational Safety Management System,’ Dr Iteke Ifeanyichukwu Chukwunonso of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, stated that managing safety entails managing risks and reactively, proactively and predictively controlling risks to an acceptable level. 

He also noted that safety management should have a business-like approach and be woven into the fabrics of an organization until it becomes a part of their culture. 

While commending the NAF for its exceptional safety standards, Chukwunonso called on its leadership to continue to retain the responsibility and accountability for safety.

He also emphasized the need for NAF leadership to promote open reporting through non-punitive disciplinary policies while encouraging incentives for promoting safety, adding that senior management remains the core for safety management in any organization.