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Air Chief Seeks Greater Military-Civilian Research Collaboration

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has stressed the importance of deploying local technology in handling security challenges, including the Boko Haram … Continue reading Air Chief Seeks Greater Military-Civilian Research Collaboration


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sadique abubakar on military-civilian research collaboration The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has stressed the importance of deploying local technology in handling security challenges, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the Nigeria’s northeast.

Speaking at the 2016 Nigerian Air Force Research and Development Seminar holding in Kaduna State, the Air Force boss highlighted that for Nigeria to achieve home-based technological dependence, it must create the enabling environment for research-based collaboration between the military and the civilian institutions.

The Research and Development Seminar is an annual event for personnel of the Nigerian Air Force training institutions to showcase their latest innovations.

This year’s edition has as its theme, “Developing Civil Military Research Programmes Towards Enhanced National Development”.

Promoting Local Content

Against the backdrop that Nigeria relies heavily on imported technologies, the Air Chief said that the Nigerian Air Force was collaborating with some research institutions in the country in the areas of aircraft maintenance and other innovations, emphasising that the effectiveness of the service lies largely in its ability to development its local content.

“Globally, research and development have proved to be the catalyst as well as a major instrument for technology and industrial development.

“However, advanced technology is often the exclusive reserve of the more developed nations and the cost of its importation is usually high with developing countries such as Nigeria.

“Similarly, collaborative efforts between civil and military research and development institutions has often yielded the desired results if pursued deliberately.

“A case in view is the Mahantan project that produced the first nuclear weapon during world war two inb1942 -1945. The project was under the direction of Major General Wesney Crooks of The United states Army.

“On our part, we have also put together a programme that is aimed at enhancing our capacity to be able to produce some of our requirements in collaboration with civil institutions.

“We have entered into collaboration with several institutions such as Universities, private research and development organisations not to produce atomic bombs but to produce what is required to make our aircrafts perfect,” he told the gathering.

The Air Chief further stated that the Air Force was aware of the current administration’s commitment to promoting local content, home grown technology and innovation, as principal views to preserving the nation’s foreign exchange earnings for the developmental needs of our nation.

“In that wise, we are aware that the effectiveness of the Nigerian Air Force in the long time will largely depend on the extent of growth of its home grown technology.

“To this effect, the Nigerian Air Force currently places much emphasis on research and development as a way of building indigenous technological capacity.

“In the quest for technological advancement, we established the Air Force Research and Development Centre where research into aerospace and armament of the service is being conducted.

“Additionally, the Nigerian Air Force has continued to nurture its relationship with selected universities and research institutions,” Air Marshal Abubakar stated.

In his speech, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Danjuma Sheni, stressed that the country was endowed with many professionals who are contributing extensively to technology elsewhere in the world, but lament that the lack of local synergy had been primarily responsible for the low level of technological and industrial standing of the country.

“Armed forces all over the world have the traditional role of defending their nations first from external aggression and also maintaining territorial integrity of their respective countries.

“In addition to these crucial roles, armed forces of more advanced nations are renowned for their pioneering effort in revolutionary researches and breakthrough discoveries in various areas. Such landmark progress and discoveries from the military research and development have contributed immensely in making our world a much better place as they impact virtually on every sphere of our lives.

“Today’s event is an indication that the Nigerian Armed Forces are equally aspiring to leave their foot prints on the global stage and is therefore a welcome development.

“The Nigerian Armed Forces have in recent times been very busy in an extremely excellent job of confronting our nation’s current multi-faceted internal security challenges. In a bid to reposition the armed forces to better cope with these challenges, the Federal Government has made the modernisation of equipping and continuous training of the Nigerian Armed Forces a top priority,” he stated.

Before the seminar comes to an end, participants would showcase their innovations in a competition.

It is expected that at the end of the three day event, the Nigerian Air Force will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with some of the research agencies and tertiary institutions in order to provide a pool of competencies.