By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, says the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has in the last 20 months initiated 340 infrastructure projects and completed 195.
Abubakar made this known on Friday during the inauguration of officers’ accommodation in Abuja.
He said that 145 of those projects were at various stages of completion, including the new NAF Headquarters Annex at Gudu, the NAF Hospital, and Microfinance Bank, all in Abuja.
According to him, several other housing quarters have been completed at Karmo and Karu, which will provide additional accommodation for officers, airmen, and airwomen.
“Several projects have been earmarked to alleviate infrastructure deficits in the service. Our goal is to reduce these deficits by 50 per cent by the end of this year.
“We intend to have internet facilities at all NAF bases, this initiative will enhance communication and real-time information sharing in the highly technological and complex world we live in.
“I therefore encourage all personnel to leverage on these facilities, contribute innovative ideas that will enhance their power and promote self-reliance in line with global advancements,” he said.
The CAS said the infrastructure development was part of NAF’s holistic welfare strategy.
He added that the service was devoted to enhancing healthcare services, expanding educational opportunities for personnel families, and providing robust professional development programmes.
He said that the initiatives would create an ecosystem where every personal could give their best.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support towards the actualisation of his vision for the NAF.
Abubakar said that the initiative had agile resilience and capability of meeting the air power demands of national security in all operational environments.
Abubakar explained that the houses comprised of 10 units of two-bedroom married officers’ accommodation and six units of three-bedroom transit officers’ accommodation.
The Commander, 053 NAF Camp, Group Capt. Hassan Ibrahim said the projects symbolised the CAS’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for NAF personnel in both operations and administration.
Ibrahim said the projects also underscored the priority placed on the welfare and morale of NAF personnel.
“We have seen commendable policies focused on improving personnel welfare, fostering excellence, and driving infrastructure development.
The proactive support of these initiatives has led to significant enhancement in our housing and living standards of personnel,” he said. (NAN)
