The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to advancing African-led security cooperation after chairing the 2026 African Air Chiefs’ Symposium in Tunis, Tunisia.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, Aneke said the theme, “Operationalising the Association of African Air Forces: A New Era of Shared Responsibility,” highlighted the urgency for African nations to adopt collective and practical solutions to shared security challenges.
He stressed that no single nation could independently tackle the continent’s complex security environment, and called for stronger intelligence sharing, joint operations, and enhanced coordination among African air forces.
“Our collective strength lies in our ability to work together, share capabilities and build a united front against forces that threaten peace and prosperity on our continent,” he said.
Aneke noted that the symposium marked a key milestone in operationalising the Association of African Air Forces (AAAF) through sustained collaboration. He highlighted progress made since the 2025 Table-Top Exercise in Zambia and preparations for the Field Training Exercise scheduled for Kenya in 2027.
He also held bilateral and multilateral engagements with partner air forces and international stakeholders, focusing on training, joint exercises, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism cooperation.
The CAS said the engagements reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening regional partnerships to improve operational effectiveness and support counter-insurgency efforts across Africa.
In a major outcome of the symposium, Air Marshal Aneke was unanimously re-elected as Chairman of the Association of African Air Forces for another two-year term, reflecting strong confidence in his leadership.
In his closing remarks, Aneke emphasised the importance of political support, logistics cooperation, air mobility, interoperability and indigenous capacity development for long-term regional security.
He added that the symposium reinforced Africa’s determination to achieve lasting peace and stability through partnership, innovation and collective action.
The high-level gathering, organised under the auspices of the Association of African Air Forces (AAAF), brought together Air Chiefs, senior military leaders and strategic partners from across the continent to strengthen collaboration in airpower development, interoperability and coordinated security operations.
The symposium focused on building a unified African response to evolving security threats, including terrorism, insurgency, transnational organised crime and humanitarian crises.
