Rising cost of aviation fuel affecting troops’ operations – Chief of Air Staff

The Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, has outlined challenges hampering the Nigerian Air Force from attaining its operational objectives.

The challenges include rising cost of aviation fuel and introduction of surcharges.

According to him, the situation continues to worsen with the cost of Jet A-1 fluctuating at N1,150 per litre, against the budgeted N360 per litre.

He said there is need for an intervention fund for the Nigerian Air Force as an independent importer of Jet A-1 fuel to sustain air operations.

He also lamented delays in release of funds for procurement, noting that about 85 per cent of Nigerian Air Force capital budget is for procuring military hardware abroad.

“Since hardware by original equipment manufacturers are time-bound, delay in budget funding may lead to late delivery due to late payment. Timely disbursement of approved funds would surely solve this challenge,” he said.

He also identified the problems of terrorists living among the populace and Nigeria’s porous borders.

“The Nigerian Air Force’s kinetic operations are supported by credible intelligence to minimize undesired casualties.

“The country’s land borders, including those with Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, spanning about 4,000km, are mostly insecure and poorly manned. These porous borders exacerbate arms proliferation and illegal movement of people and goods, which contribute to the problem of insecurity and further enable insurgents to operate freely.”

On manpower challenges, given the recent acquisition of new platforms, he and a three-year sustained training plan has been put in place beginning from 2024, “as long as the National Assembly expeditiously facilitates smooth passage of our increased training and operations requirements.”