By Bavoriat Clara
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recorded a historic milestone in aviation safety, completing a full year without any aircraft mishap , a development credited to sweeping institutional reforms and a deep-rooted culture of operational discipline and professionalism.
Announcing the feat at the 2025 Safety Review Board (SRB) Meeting held at the Air Marshal MD Umar Blue Room, Headquarters NAF, Abuja, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, described the accomplishment as a product of deliberate and sustained efforts across the Force.
“This is not luck it is the outcome of proactive planning, strategic oversight, and the commitment of our personnel to a culture of safety,” the CAS said. “Safety is not a one-off achievement but a process that must be continuously nurtured through foresight, innovation, and accountability.”
The CAS, according to a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, revealed that in 2025 alone, over 1,300 airmen and 157 officers have undergone safety training, bringing the total number of safety-trained personnel to 1,199. He stressed that the NAF aims to make safety education universal across its ranks.
Air Marshal Abubakar further highlighted that a resilient safety infrastructure is key to operational effectiveness, no matter how advanced the aircraft may be. He urged senior commanders to lead by example and cautioned against complacency, noting that most aviation incidents stem from human error, poor communication, or procedural lapses.
Commending Air Officers Commanding for sustaining quarterly Safety Action Group meetings, the CAS also called for strengthened accountability at the unit level, reiterating that safety must be internalized across all echelons of the NAF.
In his remarks, the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Abidoye, disclosed that in the first half of 2025, the NAF conducted evaluation visits to 58 units and completed safety inspections in 31.
He also noted that safety awareness seminars were held across multiple commands, reinforcing a service-wide culture of safety consciousness.
The SRB meeting concluded with a renewed pledge from NAF leadership to institutionalize safety as a fundamental value beyond just a metric of performance.
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