What happens when the Nigerian Air Force puts safety before everything else? Air Marshal Sunday Aneke just made it crystal clear — no shortcuts, no excuses.

Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, the Chief of Air Staff, has told NAF commanders and personnel to put safety first and protect every single asset under their watch. And he means business.

Speaking on Tuesday at the 2026 First NAF Safety Review Board Meeting at NAF Headquarters in Abuja, Air Marshal Aneke said safety is not just a box to tick. It is the backbone of how the Air Force gets the job done.

Why safety matters now:

The NAF is working in a pretty tough security environment, so professionalism and mission readiness are non-negotiable. But as the CAS put it, none of that works without safety baked into every plan and decision.

“Safety must remain an integral component of our planning, decision-making, and execution processes,” he told the room.

What commanders need to do:

Air Marshal Aneke wants a culture shift. Safety should not be seen as just following rules. It should be seen as what actually helps missions succeed.

That means aircraft, vehicles, equipment, facilities and most importantly, personnel, all get protected by sticking to established safety standards and best practices. No cutting corners.

What the Safety Review Board is for:

The SRB is where the NAF checks how it is doing on safety, spots new risks, and figures out what needs fixing. Back in December 2025, Aneke had already asked that these meetings run for at least two days so there is time for proper, honest conversations.

He told participants to be frank and constructive. The real test is not the meeting itself, but whether the recommendations actually get used across all units.

Credit where it is due:

The CAS gave props to the Standards and Evaluation team, Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding, Commandants, Directors, Command Evaluation Officers, Air Component Commanders, Unit Commanders and Safety Officers for pushing safety awareness and prevention measures.

But there are still gaps:

Aneke did not sugar-coat it. Recent incidents and hazard reports show the NAF still needs to improve on risk assessment, following procedures, supervision, maintenance discipline, managing human factors, and reporting.

“We must strengthen our commitment to proactive safety management rather than reactive responses to incidents,” he said.

The way forward:

His message to commanders was simple: lead by example. Supervise properly, enforce standards, and make sure everyone is accountable.

He also wants personnel to speak up. If you see a hazard or a near miss, report it. No one should be scared of being punished for flagging a problem. That is the whole idea behind the NAF’s “Safety Just Culture” — learn from the small stuff before it becomes a big incident.

Finally, he challenged the Board to take a hard look at where NAF safety stands today, call out emerging challenges, and come up with fresh ideas to strengthen the Safety Management System. The goal is clear: keep the force ready, keep combat capability strong, and protect the NAF’s most valuable resource — its people.

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