When President Muhammadu Buhari appointed then Air Vice Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff, it was, to those familiar with his track record, a fitting recognition for more than three decades of a brilliant career and service to the fatherland under the Nigerian Airforce.
It was easy to see that the 20th Chief of Air Staff came prepared: he had been Best Cadet in Flying and Best All Round Cadet at the Primary Flying Training Wing in 1981 and Tactical Air Command Best Officer of the Year in 1997. Abubakar had received letters of commendation for good leadership and prudent management of resources from three chiefs of air staff before him: Air Marshal OO Petinrin in 2009; Air Marshal MD Dikko, 2011; and Air Marshal AS Badeh in 2013. Every of Abubakar’s appointments at tactical, operational and strategic levels prepared him for the task of leading the Nigerian Airforce.
And as he progressed steadily holding various command, staff and training appointments, he acquired the grooming and temperament needed to position the NAF. He has taught at both Armed Forces Command and Staff College, and Nigerian Defence College earning their prestigious epaulets (psc+ and fdc+). As a pilot, Abubakar has flown the Bulldog, Piper Warrior, ENSTROM, Bell 206, BO-105, Mi-17 and Mi-35P helicopters and has done over 2,500 operational and training flight hours.
It is therefore not surprising that Abubakar who was promoted Air Marshal on August, 2015, has lived up to the expectations of those who have always believed that his appointment as air chief was the right decision by Mr President.
In fulfilling the Presidential directive of ensuring the security of Nigeria and Nigerians, the Air Chief focused on having ‘stable wings’ that is in line with the motto of the Nigerian Air Force —Willing, Able and Ready. Towards this end, the last four and half years have witnessed tremendous transformation of the force in various areas.
Under his watch, the NAF has recorded remarkable achievements in the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality in the country facilitated by the acquisition of new platforms and reactivation of existing ones. The NAF has also witnessed enhanced professionalism through expansion of its organizational structures and augmentation of its manpower strength. Tremendous progress has also been made in the areas of human capacity development, enhancement of personnel welfare as well as research and development.
In the fight against terrorists, armed bandits, kidnappers and other criminals, the NAF has in the past five years, flown over 24,000hours while conducting 11, 300 missions in support of Operation LAFIYA DOLE.
Besides supporting the joint operations, the NAF has also conducted independent operations in different theatres to counter multifarious threats. Some of these independent operations include Operation RUWAN WUTA I-IV, Operation THUNDER STRIKE I and II, Operation GREEN SWEEP I to III, Operation RATTLE SNAKE I-III and Operation DECISIVE EDGE. In addition to deployment of air assets and personnel as part of the Defence Headquarters Operation SHARAN DAJI, the NAF has also deployed Special Forces elements fighting with other services and security agencies in the various theatres of operation. The NAF has also been providing close air support, air interdiction, in-Theatre liaison flights, medical and casualty evacuation as well as logistics re-supply.
In line with the President’s mandate to contribute towards wining peace in troubled areas in Nigeria, the NAF has been carrying out robust civil military relations aimed at alleviating the suffering of IDPs and also winning the hearts and minds of people in areas ravaged by activities of Boko Haram and other criminal elements. Among other several intiatives, the NAF has established hospitals in some communities in the North East; introduced school feeding programme for 1,000 school children in two IDP camps; and conducted medical outreaches where over 370,000 people in different parts of Nigeria have benefited.
Aware that the NAF is a national asset and instrument of national power, the Air Chief has been projecting that power beyond the shores of Nigeria. NAF Alpha Jets were the first and only fighter aircraft depoyed in the Gambia to facilitate peaceful handover of power to President Adama Barrow. The NAF has also been involved in humanitarian activities in Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Records have shown that since 2015, the NAF has witnessed tremendous boost to its aircraft holdings across fleets, through systematic acquisition and reactivation of platforms. To boost the NAF training and combat readiness, the Federal Government acquired 22 brand new aircraft.
The acquisitions and reactivation as well as the emplacement of robust logistics support structure have enabled the NAF to raise the serviceability status of operable aircraft from about 35 percent in 2015 to an average of about 85 percent as at March 2020.
Taking into cognizance current and emerging security challenges, the NAF under the leadership of Abubakar has continuously been expanding its structure and enhancing its manpower. In this regards, the NAF has expanded its force structure by creating two new branches, two new field commands as well as several new units including some Quick Response Groups and Wings (QRGs/QRWs), all in a bid to take security closer to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.
In line with his vision, the Air Chief has prioritized training and capacity building in the last four years. Within this period, NAF has winged over 100 pilots, boosted the capacity of its Regiments and Special Forces with additional training and equipment to improve operations in the fight against insurgency and other forms of insecurity. It is to his credit that in over five decades of the NAF, Marshal Abubakar took a step never taken before which is winging female combatants, Flying Officer Kafayat Sani and Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile who can aspire to the highest positions in the Nigerian Airforce.
In terms of welfare of personnel, the Air Chief has made significant progress in provision of hostel accommodation, upgrading of hospitals and construction of new ones. Under his leadership, the NAF also upgraded medical equipment at various medical centres across the country. Air Marshal Abubakar’s passion for research and development is well known in the Nigerian Air Force long before he became the Chief of Air Staff. In the last four years, he has invested greatly in R&D to develop the capacity to confront current and emerging security challenges. Some of the breakthroughs recorded include the production of the first NAF indigenous operational Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Tsaigunmi inducted into NAF by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.
Nigerian Air Force has continued to provide platforms in support of the Federal Government’s effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. Indeed, the NAF has deployed its human and material assets in support of ongoing effort to curb the impact of Coronavirus.
It is safe to say that the Nigerian Air Force at 56 under the charge of Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar is more ‘WILLING, ABLE and READY to carry out its constitutional responsibilities of providing air power in support of national security goals of Nigeria.
