NAF logs 6,100 flight hours, burns 10m litres fuel in 11-month security ops
The Nigerian Air Force consumed nearly 10 million litres of Jet A-1 fuel, flew over 6,100 hours, and executed 2,900 sorties between November 2025 and September 2026, according to a Sunday statement by NAF spokesman Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame. The figures were released ahead of Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Aneke's first anniversary on October 30.
Operations covered precision air strikes, armed reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support targeting hostile elements across multiple theatres. Ejodame emphasized intelligence-led mission planning with defined objectives and outcome assessments. On fleet modernization, six L-39ZA aircraft are undergoing reactivation and upgrades in Slovakia and Nigeria, while a C-130 undergoes depot maintenance in Portugal. The service received five new helicopters in September—three AW-109 Trekker Type B and two H125—and is pursuing 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters plus unmanned aerial systems.
Infrastructure-wise, 284 projects were approved with 145 completed and 139 ongoing, covering accommodation, medical facilities, roads, power, and water. Welfare improvements under "Welfare for Enhanced Warfare" include better allowances, medical support, and reactivated welfare airlift for frontline personnel. Promotions covered 57 senior officers, 1,534 senior NCOs, and 1,936 NCOs. Over 550 personnel received international training and 6,000+ got local technical and leadership training.
Indigenous capacity projects include local production of 57mm rockets, bomb-loading trolleys, and impulse release cartridges. The NAF established an Operational and Safety Audit Committee, improved its Safety Management System, and is developing civilian harm mitigation structures. An Open-Source Intelligence Centre is planned to enhance situational awareness.
With ₦10 million litres of fuel and thousands of sorties in under a year, the operational tempo is significant. As fleet upgrades and welfare investments continue, will sustained airpower translate to measurable security gains in the theatres that matter most to communities on the ground?