By Augustine Aminu
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has stressed the importance of strategic leadership in sustaining the operational effectiveness, institutional performance and long-term relevance of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Aneke made the remarks on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at the Strategic Leadership and Management Workshop and Induction Ceremony held at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force in Abuja.
The CAS said the increasingly complex security environment, characterised by uncertainty, rapid technological advancement and evolving threats, requires military leaders who can anticipate challenges, assess risks, optimise available resources and make sound decisions with long-term implications.
According to him, strategic leadership must go beyond addressing immediate operational requirements to ensuring that available resources and capabilities are effectively translated into meaningful operational outcomes.
He linked the leadership approach to the NAF Command Philosophy’s key driver of “Standardised Training and Mission-Focused Capability Development.”
Leadership development as force multiplier
Air Marshal Aneke said the workshop was designed to strengthen the competencies of senior officers in strategic leadership, organisational effectiveness, policy formulation, governance, decision-making and resource management.
He urged participants to critically examine existing practices, engage actively with facilitators and apply lessons from the programme to improve performance within their respective commands and formations.
The CAS further charged senior officers to strengthen institutional performance, promote innovation, develop their subordinates and ensure that decisions made today contribute to the long-term effectiveness of the Nigerian Air Force.
He noted that operational effectiveness was not dependent solely on aircraft, equipment and personnel, but also on the quality of leadership, decision-making, resource management and innovation required to convert available capabilities into decisive airpower effects.
NAF, strategic management institute deepen collaboration
Aneke also highlighted the induction of eligible participants as Full Members of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria, Chartered, describing the professional recognition as valuable to strengthening competencies required for senior military leadership and institutional governance.
The CAS commended the organisers and the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria for their collaboration with the NAF.
He expressed confidence that the programme would enhance the professional development of participating officers and contribute to improved institutional and operational capacity across the Nigerian Air Force.
Earlier, the President/Chairman-in-Council of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria, Mr Alex Ndudi Enebeli, FSM, represented by the immediate past President, Dr Otive Igbuzor, FSM, welcomed participants to the programme.
Igbuzor underscored the importance of strategic management and leadership in improving organisational performance.
He said the collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force would further enhance the capacity of senior officers to make sound decisions, optimise resources and drive institutional effectiveness.
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