•10 countries to converge on FCT, Kaduna for event

By Kingsley Omonobi

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, is set to take delivery of 48 fighter aircraft, comprising attack jets and helicopters, with capabilities to police the nation’s vast ungoverned spaces, particularly forests and desert areas, while at the same time intercepting and decimating criminal elements, terrorists and kidnappers fanning the embers of insecurity in the country.

To this end, 12 AH attack helicopters from the US, with 6 expected by the end of 2024, 24 M-346 fighter jets from Italy, which are expected to replace the Alpha jets in due course, and another 12 AW-109 helicopter Trekkers from Italy are expected to be delivered to NAF by 2025.

Chairman of the organising committee of NAF’s 60th anniversary, Air Vice Marshal Michael Ekwueme, who disclosed these at a briefing in Abuja yesterday, said air chief from at least 10 countries across Africa, Europe and other continents, have signified their interests to participate in the anniversary celebration.

According to him, over 2,000 participants from across the world will also impact the occasion.

He called on residents of Kaduna and the Federal Capital territory, FCT, where the activities for the anniversary, including fly-past, airborne demonstrations would be conducted, not to panic as a result of the influx of NAF operational and other assets into the cities.

While noting that their deployments were only for the occasion, AVM Ekwueme disclosed that consequent upon the prevailing economic environment in the country, the leadership of NAF came up with the innovation of raising funds through the Public, Private, Partnership, PPP, arrangements to celebrate the anniversary.

“We are leveraging on foreign partnership with manufacturers, technology companies from abroad including the USA, Britain, Turkey, Italy, China and many others in the area of research and development while local content participation from industries within the country led by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, will seize the opportunities to showcase their capabilities to the outside world,” he said.

AVM Ekwueme added that a research and development exhibition for aerospace equipment and technology involving companies from various countries would hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, where the latest in aircraft technology and modern airpower equipment deployment would be on display.

He said:  “For the first time, NAF is adopting a PPP model to organize and fund this event. A company, the Great Minds Event Management, based in Dubai, is bringing in foreign exhibitors and participants for the conference and exhibition as well as sponsor the event in various degrees.

“Local exhibitors will also be participating. Furthermore, we have secured sponsorships from some state governments and organizations. Some of our sponsors include Rivers, Enugu, Taraba, Kaduna and Bauchi state governments. We also have the Federal Capital Territory, Air Peace and Transcorp Hilton. There are also some companies, including CATIC, ALIT and CETC.’

Expatiating on the new fighter aircraft, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, Director of NAF Public Relations, said:  “In the next few months/years, the Nigerian Air force is going to be the third largest air force in Africa. You are going to see changes. NAF will become more formidable.”