NAF
NAF Graduates 71
NAF
NAF Graduates 71 Young Officers in Kaduna
In continuation of its efforts to enhance the capacity of its
personnel to effectively contend with the security challenges
confronting the Nation, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on 11 October
2019, graduated a total of 71 junior officers from the Young
Officers’ Course (YOC) at the Military Training Centre (MTC), NAF
Base, Kaduna.
The 3 month-long YOC 14/2019 was unique in the sense that, for
first time since the re-introduction of YOC in the NAF, Pilot
Officers (41 in all), also participated, along with 30 Flying
Officers.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, held at the Shittu Alao
Auditorium, NAF Base Kaduna, the Guest of Honour (GOH), the Air
Secretary Headquarters NAF, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Mahmoud Ahmed,
stated that the current security challenges confronting the Nation
have made it imperative for the NAF to continually equip its
personnel with necessary knowledge and skills to make them more
effective in the discharge of their duties. This, he noted, was the
reason why the NAF has continued to place premium on human capacity
development as a critical enabler of operational effectiveness.
He therefore urged the graduating officers to justify the
resources that had been invested in them by always displaying the
highest standards of loyalty and discipline, while carrying out
their duties diligently and professionally. AVM Ahmed also charged
the graduands to be innovative and come up with more proactive ways
to make judicious use of resources entrusted to them as junior
commanders. The GOH commended the Air Officer Commanding Ground
Training Command (AOC GTC), AVM Idi Amin, as well as the Commandant
and staff of MTC for providing a conducive environment for training
and ensuring the successful conduct of the course.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commandant MTC, Group
Captain Abdullahi Bello, said the objective of the YOC was to
improve the knowledge of the young officers with a view to
enhancing their productivity. He added that the Course had exposed
the student officers to lectures and exercises tailored towards
developing their staff duties as well as their analytical and
communication skills.
He noted further that, in view of the NAF’s increasing role in
internal security operations, the graduands were also trained on
the basics of unconventional and irregular warfare to prepare them
for immediate induction into various theatres of operation across
the country.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of
awards to graduating officers who distinguished themselves on the
course; with Pilot Officer Muhammed Usman, Flying Officer Michael
Anthony and Pilot Officer Godsblessing Lucky bagging the CAS, AOC
GTC and Commandant MTC’s awards for emerging first, second and
third in order of merit on the course, respectively. Dignitaries at
the ceremony included the AOCs of Air and Ground Training Commands
as well as Commandants and Commanders of NAF institutions and units
in Kaduna.
IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force