The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, on Wednesday paid a condolence visit to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, following the tragic Nigerian Air Force aircraft incident at Igbokoda, Ondo State.
This is as both men announced the establishment of a joint committee between the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to deepen collaboration on safety, airworthiness, certification and training.
The meeting came on the heels of the recent Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State, which led to the death of 25 people on board, comprising military personnel and civilians.
The agreement, reached at the NAF headquarters in Abuja, effectively narrows the long-standing dichotomy between civil and military aviation in Nigeria, with both institutions resolving to share expertise and infrastructure in the interest of national aviation safety.
Speaking after signing the condolence register and holding a private meeting with the Air Chief, Keyamo described the Igbokoda incident as a national tragedy, commending the gallantry and sacrifice of the men and women of the Air Force.
“We value the Air Force. We value the efforts of the gallant men and women of the Air Force and what they do for the country,” the Minister said.
He stressed that tragedies in the aviation sector do not distinguish between military and civilian operators, noting that both serve the same country and protect the same citizens.
“It is one country, one people. When disaster happens, it affects everybody. There were civilians in that air crash, and when there is an air crash in civil aviation too, there can be military personnel. And so, it is important that we cooperate in the area of safety,” Keyamo said.
The Minister noted that the Nigerian Air Force already relies on civil aviation infrastructure, particularly air traffic control, and said the existing relationship should now be expanded into a more structured partnership.
He disclosed that he had already contacted the Director-General of the NCAA and facilitated direct communication between the regulatory body’s leadership and the Chief of Air Staff.
“We have decided that we will cooperate in terms of capacity building,” he said.
Keyamo announced that the joint committee involving the NCAA and the Nigerian Air Force would facilitate collaboration in airworthiness, certification, training and other aviation safety measures, while respecting the statutory mandates of both institutions.
He further assured the Air Chief that personnel of the Nigerian Air Force would be given access to relevant training opportunities undertaken by the civil aviation authorities.
“There is no reason why we cannot take some names from the Air Force. We have a lot of training we go for, so there is no reason why we cannot,” he said.
The Minister also acknowledged that the Nigerian Air Force possesses specialised expertise that would be beneficial to the civil aviation sector, describing the proposed relationship as a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and experience.
“This is a kind of cross-pollination and symbiotic relationship we have decided to build for the safety of the lives of Nigerians,” Keyamo stated.
Responding, Air Marshal Aneke thanked the Minister for the condolence visit and for his continued support for the Nigerian Air Force, describing the gesture as a demonstration of the strong relationship that has developed between the civil and military aviation sectors under Keyamo’s leadership.
The Chief of Air Staff disclosed that both institutions had already commenced discussions on a framework that would enable personnel from the civil aviation sector to contribute to the Air Force’s safety environment, particularly in the areas of airworthiness and certification, while Air Force personnel would also contribute their expertise to the civil aviation sector where required.
“We have both agreed that we need to move the aviation industry, whether military or civil, to a higher level,” Aneke said.
He welcomed the Minister’s offer of training opportunities for Air Force personnel, stressing that the initiative would strengthen capacity and enhance aviation safety across the country.
The Chief of Air Staff emphasised that the two institutions have a shared responsibility to protect Nigerian lives.
“We are serving the same government; we are protecting the same Nigerians. So we are just a blend of each other,” he said.
The new partnership is expected to promote greater information sharing, technical cooperation, professional training and safety collaboration between Nigeria’s civil and military aviation authorities.
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