Chief of Air Staff Stresses Joint Operations and Air Power as Key to National Security

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has stressed that effective national security increasingly relies on close collaboration among all branches of the military and key security stakeholders to counter the country’s evolving security landscape.

Air Marshal Aneke made the assertion on Friday 3rd July 2026 while delivering a lecture titled “Air Power and National Security: The Nigerian Air Force in Perspective” to participants of Course 34 at the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja. According to the Air Chief, modern security threats facing Nigeria have fundamentally shifted from conventional warfare to complex hybrid conflicts. These are characterized by terrorism, banditry, organized crime, and other asymmetric challenges.

He noted that because no single military service can successfully tackle these threats in isolation, maintaining absolute control of the air domain remains a critical prerequisite for the success of both land and maritime operations. “The Nigerian Air Force plays a strategic role through intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, rapid deployment of forces, and offensive operations,” Aneke said, adding that NAF’s duties also span maritime security, border patrols, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.

The Air Chief explained that Nigeria’s changing geopolitical environment, economic realities, and democratic aspirations demand a forward-looking defence strategy, even in the face of limited resources. He further emphasized that contemporary national security has expanded beyond merely protecting territorial integrity. Today, it encapsulates:

Safeguarding critical national infrastructure, Strengthening economic resilience, Combating violent extremism and organized cyber threats.

Aneke pointed to the National Security Strategy as the primary framework for achieving these broad objectives through a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach.

Earlier in the program, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Abdullah Ahmed, expressed his appreciation to Air Marshal Aneke for delivering an insightful and inspiring lecture. Rear Admiral Ahmed noted that the presentation enriched the participants’ understanding of air power and strategic defence, a foundation that will contribute significantly to their development as future strategic leaders.