The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reaffirmed its commitment to operational excellence and force protection with the successful convening of the Second Safety Review Board (SRB) Meeting for 2025, held on December 23 at the Air Marshal MD Umar Blue Room.
As the highest decision-making body on safety matters within the Service, the SRB serves as a strategic platform for reviewing air and ground incidents, analysing emerging trends, and setting policy direction aimed at strengthening the NAF Safety Management System across all operational environments.
Opening the meeting, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the Board as a critical pillar of the NAF’s safety governance framework. He emphasised that safety remains fundamental to mission readiness, operational effectiveness and the welfare of personnel. Air Marshal Aneke disclosed that upon assuming office, he constituted a committee comprising serving and retired senior officers to conduct an objective appraisal of key operational, engineering and armament formations, with a mandate to identify and mitigate risks before they escalate into incidents.
In furtherance of a systems-based and proactive safety approach, the scope of the meeting was expanded to include members of the appraisal committee as well as other senior and retired officers, with a view to enriching deliberations and delivering sustainable safety outcomes.
The CAS also highlighted key milestones achieved by the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Safety, Ipetu-Ijesha, particularly in safety capacity building. He noted that several flight and ground safety courses were conducted in 2025, with growing regional interest as foreign armed forces have indicated readiness to train at the Institute. He further disclosed that a committee has been established to develop modalities for the Institute’s accreditation.
Air Marshal Aneke charged commanders and safety professionals to sustain performance-based safety management as new platforms are inducted and infrastructure upgraded, reiterating that safety excellence remains inseparable from operational success.
