The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has graduated 35 new pilots, and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, has charged them to view their flying qualifications as a solemn national responsibility.
“Earning your flying qualification is not just a personal achievement, it is a national responsibility. You carry not just rank and wings, but the hopes of millions of Nigerians who depend on us for safety and security,” Abubakar said.
The graduation ceremony was held at the 401 Flying Training School (FTS) in Kaduna, and Abubakar emphasised that the operational strength of the NAF is directly linked to the standard of its training.
“In the Nigerian Air Force, we say that the quality of our training determines the strength of our operations. This is why, under my leadership, we are upgrading training institutions, inducting more aircraft, and evolving our doctrines to meet the demands of modern warfare,” he said.
Abubakar described the graduation as another milestone in the ongoing transformation of the NAF into a more agile, resilient, and technology-driven force.
He commended the 401 FTS for over four decades of excellence in pilot training, producing over 700 pilots for the NAF, Nigerian Navy, and other African countries.
The CAS reiterated the NAF’s unwavering dedication to enhancing professional capacity, improving personnel welfare, and executing its constitutional mandate to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity while supporting national development.
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