The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified efforts to protect civilians in conflict zones with the completion of the first phase of a specialised Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM) in Air Operations course.
The five-day programme, which ended on 15 August 2025 at the Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre (AWDC), Abuja, brought together pilots, drone operators, armament specialists, legal officers, and public relations experts. It is part of a broader initiative by the Service to embed civilian protection as a core principle of its operations.
According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, the training covered International Humanitarian Law, precision targeting, rules of engagement, no-strike lists, and protocols for engaging sensitive targets.
Delivered in partnership with Conflict, Security and Development Consult Limited, the CHM course will train about 90 officers in three batches between August and September.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, said the course builds on the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) launched earlier this year. He noted that the initiative had already reduced collateral damage incidents during air operations. “Protecting civilians is not just a moral duty, it is a professional imperative,” he said.
At the closing ceremony, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, who represented the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, stressed that protecting civilians was also a strategic advantage. “When communities see that we take extraordinary measures to keep them safe, we build trust. That trust strengthens intelligence sharing and isolates hostile actors,” he said.
With two more batches set to complete the training by September, NAF says civilian protection will remain central to its operations across all theatres.
