The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has received commendation from the Civil Military Cooperation (CIMICO) for its growing community-centric posture and sustained commitment to constructive civil–military engagement.
The commendation followed a stakeholder engagement at the NAF Headquarters, where the Chairperson and Coordinator of CIMICO, Adams Otakwu, led a delegation to interface with senior NAF officials. The meeting provided a platform for open and robust dialogue aimed at strengthening Civil–Military Relations (CMR), enhancing transparency, and fostering enduring partnerships between the NAF and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) nationwide.
Speaking during the visit, Dr Otakwu praised the NAF’s openness to dialogue and its evolving people-focused approach, highlighting the impact of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Special Intervention Projects and the Service’s Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Strategies.
He noted that structured civil–military interfaces are critical to demystifying military operations, expanding humanitarian outreach, and collaboratively addressing security challenges.
According to him, the engagement reflects a positive trajectory in CMR practices and offers optimism for building a sustainable cooperation framework to advance security communication, conflict prevention, community resilience, and civilian harm mitigation.
Responding on behalf of the CAS, Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the Chief of Civil–Military Relations, Edward Gabkwet, expressed appreciation to CIMICO for its consistent support.
He reaffirmed the CAS’s commitment to CMR as a cornerstone of NAF operations, stressing that public trust, collaboration with civil authorities, intelligence sharing, and access to airspace remain vital enablers of operational effectiveness and mission acceptance.
Air Vice Marshal Gabkwet further underscored the pivotal role of civil society as a bridge between the military and the civilian populace in promoting peace, security, and national development.
The engagement concluded with a review of planned activities for the year, including civil society participation in specialized trainings and expanded stakeholder engagements.
Both parties expressed readiness to institutionalize regular consultations and explore actionable partnership areas aligned with the NAF’s constitutional mandate and civil society’s grassroots responsibilities.
