The Minister of Defence, Dr. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has charged graduating officers of the Air War College (AWC) to embrace innovation, foresight, and proactive leadership in addressing the realities of modern conflict.
Represented by the Chief of defence staff General Christopher Musa, the Minister reminded participants of Air War Course 11/2025 that they are “frontline thinkers and doers” within Nigeria’s security architecture.
He also commended the College’s contribution to regional defence cooperation, highlighted by the participation of officers from Cameroon, Botswana, and Morocco.
In his remarks, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, urged the graduands to confront terrorism with renewed urgency, stressing that “the task at hand is to ensure that terrorism anywhere is defeated before it undermines peace everywhere.”
Earlier, the Commandant of the College, Air Vice Marshal Babatunde Phillips, described the event as the culmination of months of intellectual rigour and professional transformation.
The Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, represented by his Deputy, Barr. Sam Ode, mni, praised the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for its dedication to excellence in training and lauded the sacrifices of the Armed Forces in defending the nation.
The graduation ceremony also featured the presentation of awards to outstanding participants. Commander P.C. Onah emerged as the Overall Best Participant and also won the Best Research Paper award, while Group Captain C.J. Mbam and Wing Commander E.A. Okeke were named Second and Third Best Participants, respectively. Lieutenant Colonel P.N.E. Nguoa of Cameroon clinched the Best Allied Participant award.
The graduation reaffirmed the NAF’s commitment to advancing airpower education, strengthening international collaboration, and safeguarding national sovereignty.
