By Nkechi Eze
The Minister of Defence, Dr. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, mni, has urged graduating officers of the Air War College to rise to the demands of modern warfare by embracing innovation, foresight, and proactive leadership in tackling Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Air War Course 11/2025 in Makurdi on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, the Minister, who was represented by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, charged the graduands to see themselves as frontline thinkers and doers in Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The rise of violent non-state actors, asymmetric warfare, and complex security threats requires innovative and proactive methods to combat them,” he said. “The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been at the forefront of addressing these challenges, and your training at this esteemed institution has equipped you with the knowledge and skills to make decisive contributions to this effort.”
He emphasised that as threats confronting Nigeria grow more complex and transnational from terrorism and insurgency to piracy and organised crime the need for highly trained, adaptable, and innovative leaders cannot be overemphasized. Dr. Badaru praised the NAF for prioritising professional military education as a cornerstone for shaping operational-level leaders capable of meeting both national and regional security demands.
He also commended the Air War College for fostering international defence cooperation, noting the participation of officers from Cameroon, Botswana, and Morocco alongside colleagues from the Nigerian Army and Navy. According to him, such collaboration is vital for building synergy against the cross-border networks of extremist and criminal groups destabilising Africa.
In his remarks, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, charged the graduands to confront terrorism with urgency, warning that “the task at hand is to ensure that terrorism anywhere is defeated before it undermines peace everywhere.” He stressed that Africa’s expanding transnational terror networks demand coordinated and decisive responses, reminding the graduands that they are torchbearers of the future of their Air Forces.
“The future of airpower rests in your hands, and your ability to employ it decisively will strike at the very centre of gravity of the adversary,” the CAS declared, while celebrating the graduation of 29 senior officers as another milestone in building the intellectual and operational capacity required for national defence.
The course, which commenced on 15 January 2025, lasted 37 weeks and was designed to produce operational-level commanders capable of interpreting strategic directives and integrating the diplomatic, informational, military, and economic instruments of national power into air operations.
Earlier, the Commandant of the Air War College, Air Vice Marshal Babatunde Phillips, described the graduation as the culmination of months of intellectual rigour and professional transformation. He praised the resilience and maturity displayed by the participants and urged them to apply their newly acquired knowledge to practical leadership.
The Executive Governor of Benue State, Reverend Father Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, represented by his Deputy, Barrister Sam Ode, mni, commended the NAF for its dedication to professional training and the sacrifices of the Armed Forces in safeguarding Nigeria.
Highlights of the ceremony included the conferment of the Fellowship of the Air War College, Nigeria, on the 29 participants and the presentation of awards. Commander P.C. Onah emerged as the Overall Best graduand and Best Research Paper awardee; Group Captain C.J. Mbam was named Second Best; Wing Commander E.A. Okeke took Third Best; while Lieutenant Colonel P.N.E. Nguoa of Cameroon was honoured as Best Allied Participant.
The graduation ceremony celebrated not only the academic and professional achievements of the officers but also reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to advancing airpower education, fostering international collaboration, and safeguarding national sovereignty.
