The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is on a determined path to reach 90% aircraft serviceability by the fourth quarter of 2025, a goal set by Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar. This ambitious target is part of a broader effort to strengthen the NAF’s operational readiness through a robust maintenance culture, institutional reforms, and strategic partnerships. Speaking at the 2025 Aircraft Engineering Conference in Abuja, Abubakar described the event as timely and transformative, stressing that mission success in modern air operations depends on aircraft that are available, airworthy, and capable of sustained performance.
With the NAF’s current serviceability rate standing at 72%, the push to 90% reflects a clear commitment to enhancing air power as the force’s fleet continues to grow. The conference, held at NAF Headquarters, carried the theme “Enhancing Aircraft Serviceability in the NAF through Strong Maintenance Culture and Strategic Partnerships.” It brought together active and retired engineering professionals to explore practical solutions for keeping the Air Force’s aircraft operational. Abubakar outlined several key strategies to achieve the 90% target, including investments in predictive maintenance, spare parts, ground equipment, and digital documentation systems.
He also announced the creation of a new Directorate of Aircraft Life Cycle Management (DALCM), designed to monitor and maintain the fleet’s health from the moment aircraft are introduced until they are retired. This directorate will play a central role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the NAF’s expanding inventory. Discussions at the conference included detailed presentations on technical documentation and the value of collaboration between local and international partners in aircraft maintenance. These talks were focused on actionable ideas to improve serviceability, with participants exchanging insights drawn from years of experience. AVM AI Amodu, the Chief of Aircraft Engineering, commended Abubakar for his forward-thinking leadership, calling the engineering team the backbone of the force.
As the conference continued into its second day, it laid out a roadmap for a more efficient and mission-ready NAF, rooted in innovation and engineering excellence. Abubakar’s vision extends beyond the conference walls. In December 2024, during an operational tour of NAF establishments in Lagos, he visited Caverton Helicopters’ Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility on December 13. The visit allowed him to assess the progress of major inspections on two NAF Bell-412 helicopters, NAF 599 and NAF 600, which were undergoing 2,500-hour and five-year maintenance checks. Impressed by Caverton’s technical expertise and advanced facilities, Abubakar praised the quality of their work and emphasised the importance of local partnerships.
He argued that collaborating with Nigerian companies like Caverton reduces dependence on foreign services, strengthens the NAF’s fleet maintenance, and builds national capacity for aircrew training and technical development. This partnership, he said, serves as a model for sustainable solutions that align with the NAF’s pursuit of operational excellence. Reflecting on the NAF’s 60-year history ahead of the 3rd African Air Forces Forum in Abuja in 2024, Abubakar noted the vital role of international cooperation in shaping the force’s capabilities. As a highly technical organisation, the NAF has relied on partnerships with technologically advanced countries, their original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and MROs to acquire platforms, systems, and equipment, as well as to maintain them. However, he also pointed to efforts to transfer technology and build in-depth maintenance and overhaul capacities within Nigeria.
These international ties have also enabled the NAF to train its personnel in specialised areas where local infrastructure or expertise is limited, ensuring a steady development of skills and knowledge. The NAF has a track record of boosting aircraft availability through in-country efforts. In 2020, the force reactivated two L-39ZA combat trainer aircraft and a Dassault Alpha jet light attack and trainer aircraft through periodic depot maintenance (PDM) performed in Nigeria. That same year, with assistance from Aero Vodochody, three additional L-39ZA aircraft were brought back into service on June 22, 2019. The NAF also completed PDM on two C-130H Hercules transports: NAF 917 in June 2019 and NAF 913 in January 2020, both handled at the 631 Aircraft Maintenance Depot in Ikeja. In 2023, another C-130H, NAF 918, was reactivated with help from the Pakistani Air Force Technical Assistance Group after a PDM that began in early 2021.
This inspection, conducted every six years or after 5,000 flying hours, marked another step in sustaining the NAF’s operational tempo, particularly in counterinsurgency missions. More recently, in 2024, the NAF achieved a major milestone by completing a 4800-hour PDM on a Dornier 228 aircraft entirely in-country. This task, typically outsourced to foreign MROs, demonstrated a shift toward self-sufficiency, resulting in cost savings and reduced aircraft downtime. The accomplishment reflects the NAF’s growing ability to handle complex maintenance independently, a trend Abubakar has championed through his leadership. International collaboration remains a cornerstone of the NAF’s strategy. In 2024, Abubakar met with Lieutenant General Mahmoud Foaad Abd El-Gawad, his Egyptian counterpart, and the two pledged to deepen ties between their air forces. Their agreement focused on enhancing pilot training and research and development, with plans to explore in-house tactical training for NAF pilots to sharpen their skills.
In the past year alone, the NAF flew over 4,500 hours in 2,304 sorties for 1,974 counterterrorism and counterinsurgency missions, 4,670+ hours in 2,713 sorties for 2,610 anti-banditry operations, and 1,450 hours in 453 sorties for 366 counter-crude oil theft missions. Between January and June 2025, another 3,583 hours have already been recorded in 1,728 sorties.
This partnership builds on the NAF’s history of leveraging foreign expertise while steadily increasing its capabilities. The journey to 90% serviceability by Q4 2025 is a challenging one, but the NAF is laying a solid foundation. By combining predictive maintenance, digital tools, and a new oversight directorate with local and international partnerships, the force is positioning itself for success. Abubakar’s emphasis on homegrown solutions, seen in the Caverton collaboration and in-country PDM achievements, pairs well with the lessons learned from global allies.