NAF Safety Board Meeting

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has tasked all safety officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to ensure an enhanced safety culture in all NAF activities and operations.
Abubakar gave the charge at the NAF Safety Review Board Meeting in Abuja.
He said actions or inactions of NAF personnel could help to propel or break the accident chain in NAF operations.
“While we all know that safety is a collective responsibility, this board is primarily accountable for safety administration in the NAF.
“Accidents are results of a sequence of events, beginning with deliberate decisions taken.
“NAF cannot afford to pay lip service to issues relating to safety.
“NAF will intensify efforts to enhance safety as it continues its transformation into an agile and resilient force.
“That is, a Force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environments,” CAS said.
Chief of Standards and Evaluation, AVM Micheal Onyebashi, said the Board is the apex body of the NAF Safety Management Structure.
The board organises the biannual meeting to give direction and guidelines towards entrenching a healthy safety culture.
Onyebashi said NAF has started the introduction of safety education at all NAF entry points and training institutions as directed in the last safety board review.
Dr Iteke Chukwunonso of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority presented a lecture titled “Senior Managers Role in Organisational Safety Management System” at the meeting.
Chukwunonso emphasised the need for NAF leadership to promote incentives and open reporting through non-punitive disciplinary policies to enhance safety.