The air force has cut the accommodation gap nationwide for its officers and men by 25 percent, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar has disclosed.
Air Marshal Abubakar stated this on Tuesday, at the opening of the 2024 logistics conference held in Abuja.
The conference had as its theme: “Enhancing Nigerian Air Force operations for robust national security through proactive logistics support and strong maintenance culture.”
The chief of air staff stated that specific initiatives were being developed to further lower the housing challenge to 50 percent in a short period of time.
“Additionally, I have approved the procurement and issuance of uniforms and accoutrements to all air force personnel on annual basis, with the first set of issue to commence in the next few days.
“These initiatives are aimed at enhancing our logistics provisioning in all spheres.
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“In the past few years, the air force has diversified its fleet and inducted several modern platforms, including the A-29 Super Tucano, Agusta 109 Trekker and T -129 ATAK Helicopter fleets amongst others.
“In addition, the air force is expected to take delivery of the M-346 and AH – 1Z aircraft between 2025 and 2026. These are all very hi-tech platforms that require highly sophisticated logistics systems to maintain and operate,” he said.
The air chief asked for the installation of innovative data-driven supply chain systems that ensure the availability of aircraft spares, consumables, weaponry and other goods to keep the fleet of aircraft flying optimally.
He stated that a proactive logistical attitude was essential to enable officers and men to anticipate, and arrange for repair ahead of time, as well as prevent unexpected equipment breakdowns.