By Bavoriat Clara
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to advancing national education security through a strengthened partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). He stated this on 1 December 2025 during a courtesy visit to the UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, in Abuja.
In a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the CAS described education as “the foundation upon which a safer and more secure Nigeria is built.” He said collaboration between security agencies and education regulators has become increasingly vital due to emerging threats affecting schools across the country.
Air Marshal Aneke highlighted the Nigerian Air Force’s efforts in promoting secure, inclusive and technology-driven learning across its 33 educational institutions—20 primary and 13 secondary schools—serving both military and civilian communities. “Our responsibility extends beyond protecting communities to nurturing the future of the Nigerian child,” he said.
The Air Chief explained that the NAF is already implementing initiatives focused on teacher development, digital literacy and upgrading school infrastructure. However, he stressed that deeper collaboration with UBEC would expand these efforts, especially in deploying modern safe-school technologies and digital learning systems. He noted that “a well-educated child today becomes a productive citizen tomorrow,” emphasizing the long-term security benefits of safe and functional learning environments.
He outlined priority areas for partnership, including upgrading NAF schools to accommodate more learners, joint teacher training programmes, integration into UBEC’s digital education platforms and collaborative quality assurance mechanisms. Air Marshal Aneke also endorsed UBEC’s Safe School Programme, expressing optimism that enhanced cooperation would improve accountability, monitoring and protection of schools, especially in conflict-prone areas.
Responding, Dr Aisha Garba expressed UBEC’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force. She commended the Service for its contributions to national development beyond its defence mandate, noting that “no education system can thrive without safety, and no security framework is complete without education.” She welcomed the proposed areas of cooperation and pledged UBEC’s support toward strengthening school safety, improving learning quality and building resilience across basic education institutions nationwide.
The engagement reinforces the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to the national Safe School agenda and the Renewed Hope vision of ensuring that every Nigerian child—whether in military or civilian communities—accesses quality education in a secure environment. Air Marshal Aneke emphasized that partnerships of this kind are essential to building a safer, smarter and more prosperous Nigeria, where education and security work together to safeguard the nation’s future.
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