NAF, UBEC SEAL PARTNERSHIP TO STRENGTHEN SAFE SCHOOL SECURITY NATIONWIDE

By Zainab Uzomah

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has entered into a new partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to enhance safety and strengthen security across schools nationwide.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, announced the collaboration during a visit to UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, in Abuja on December 1. He described education as the foundation of a safer and more secure nation, stressing that protecting schools has become a national priority.

According to a statement signed by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, the Chief of Air Staff said evolving security threats targeting learning environments have made inter-agency cooperation indispensable. He highlighted NAF’s ongoing efforts to secure its 33 schools — 20 primary and 13 secondary — which serve both military and civilian communities. “Our responsibility extends beyond defending Nigeria from the skies; it includes nurturing the future of the Nigerian child,” he was quoted as saying.

Air Marshal Aneke explained that the Nigerian Air Force is already deploying measures to improve teacher training, digital literacy, and infrastructure in its schools. However, he noted that deeper collaboration with UBEC would broaden these initiatives, particularly in deploying modern safe-school technologies and strengthening learning systems. He listed priority areas such as upgrading NAF schools to accommodate more students, joint teacher development programmes, integration into UBEC’s digital platforms, and collaborative quality-assurance frameworks.

UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, welcomed the partnership, applauding the Air Force for its contributions to national development beyond its defence duties. She emphasized that school safety and national security are inseparable, adding that the Commission is ready to intensify technical cooperation to improve learning delivery and enhance resilience across basic education institutions, especially in vulnerable communities.

With the new alliance, the Nigerian Air Force reinforces its commitment to the national Safe School agenda and the broader Renewed Hope vision of granting every Nigerian child access to secure, functional, and quality education. Air Marshal Aneke noted that partnerships of this nature are crucial to building a safer, more knowledgeable, and prosperous Nigeria.