The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is committed to enhancing its Safety Management Systems across all its units with special focus on operational and engineering units.
Chief of The Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar disclosed this while declaring open the year 2023 NAF Safety Review Board (SRB) meeting earlier today, 16 November 2023, at NAF Headquarters Abuja.
He notes that safety management in the NAF is a major priority and core function in view of the technical and complex nature of assigned tasks and roles of the Service.
He also stated that his resolve to, ‘Transform the NAF into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environment’ can best be achieved with safety as the bedrock.
Speaking further, the CAS reiterated his commitment to ensuring continuous improvement in safety standards through deliberate programmes aimed at enhancing flight safety as well as occupational and domestic safety in the NAF.
He equally used the opportunity to appreciate the commitment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration towards equipping the NAF with modern platforms in furtherance of efforts against terrorism, insurgency and other forms of criminality in various parts of the country.
Earlier, the NAF Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Micheal Onyebashi noted that the SRB is designed to discuss and review issued related to safety policies and regulations as well as allocate resources for enhanced safety standards in the NAF.
He also revealed that the Board is expected to provide appropriate directives and guidelines that would ensure the entrenchment of a positive safety culture in the NAF. With the receipt of new platforms into the inventory of the NAF, Air Vice Marshal Onyebashi emphasized the need for enhanced safety standards in all operational units.
Highlights of the meeting were a paper presentation on Safety Management System and Human Factors by Air Vice Marshal Gabriel Odesola (Rtd), review of NAF Safety Outlook and briefs by various Air Officers Commanding, amongst others.
