NAF SAVES COST, DOMESTICATES AIRCRAFT REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE WORKSHOPS, GRADUATES AIRCRAFT ENGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS, INDUCTS NEW AIRCRAFT
By Warrant Officer Ishola Rukayat Ajoke
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has saved Nigeria a lot of money as it on Friday, 19 January 2018, in a fell swoop, commissioned 2 reactivated Aircraft Maintenance and Structural Repairs Workshops at the 631 Aircraft Maintenance Depot (ACMD) Ikeja and graduated NAF engineers and technicians to join its aircraft technical teams, while it also inducted another locally reassembled Bell 412EP (599) Helicopter into its fleets, geared for deployment to critical areas experiencing crises across the country.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonishakin who was the Guest of Honour (GOH) of the commissioning ceremony which took place in Lagos at the Aircraft Maintenance Depot, commended the visionary leadership of the current administration of the NAF for partnering with a local research institution, the University of Maiduguri to domesticate and revamp its workshops, while stressing that the current state of affairs in the nation calls for prudent management of resources and prioritization of commitments.
The CDS explained that the reason for the decision to fix the moribund workshops was for the Air Force to consolidate on self-sufficiency and improved professional performance, stressing, “Two ingredients are critical in the development of a robust industrial based Air Force. These ingredients are versatile workshops and proficient workforce. Therefore, the decision to fix these moribund machine workshops and train personnel to operate them is a
step in the right direction”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar disclosed that “the workshops at 631 ACMD were effectively operated last in early 1980s, just like the workshops in 131 Engineering Group Markurdi, when the Lockheed Martin technical team was in Nigeria. Ever since, he said, “Various foreign vendors have quoted outrageous amounts in millions of dollars to reactivate the workshops while the persistent moribund states of the workshops hampered NAF aircraft maintenance ability and limited its capacity for research and development. This he said, diminished NAF capacity for
technological innovations”. He, however, said with the reactivations” the tide has
changed for better”.
The CAS provided that the 20 graduating students have been trained in the elementary operation of the machine which houses a capability to fabricate some spare parts required in the day-to-day maintenance of the C-130 aircraft. He noted that another set of trainees were inaugurated into the intermediate machine course, “And at the end of their training, it is anticipated that the aircraft maintenance department would have been greatly enhanced”.
Speaking with Journalists after inaugurating the newly reassembled Bell 421EP (599) Helicopter at the commissioning ceremony, the CAS explained that the reassembling of the aircraft was done at the Hanger of the 631 ACMD by NAF Helicopter technicians who were trained in the United States who came back to be part of the process. He said, we are seriously working to build capacity.
“ordinarily, the Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDMs) was conducted in
maintenance facilities outside Nigeria, “What we have done is to come to terms
with our technical partners to conduct these PDMs in Nigeria so that our people
can have the capacity to be part of it and build their own capacity.
He said the domestication of the repairs and structural workshops has enormously reduced the cost associated with international allowance such as esta-code (Per-diem, airfare) since the technicians are now only entitled to local allowances, it reduced international ferrying and the wear and tear associated with transporting the airframe and engine across-borders.
The CAS thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his unflinching support to
the Nigerian Air Force and appreciated the enormous support of the National Assembly especially the Chairmen and Members of Senate and House of Representative Committees on Nigerian Air Force for appropriating the resources required for the service to execute the project.
The Host of the event, the Air Officer Commanding Logistic Command, Air Vice Marshal IJ Yahaya who gave a recap of the achievements at the event said the ceremony marked the highpoint of the series of activities which commenced some months ago with the repair and eventual test-run of the various machines in the Machine and Structural Workshops. He noted that the addition to NAF platforms was in line with one of the key drivers of the Chief of Air Staff vision which is human capacity development through robust and result oriented
training to enhance professional performance.
“These workshops being commissioned today will indeed enhance the
maintenance capacity of 631 ACMD and thus reduce cost of aircraftm maintenance in the NAF as most of the aircraft structural repair work will now be done in-house at 631 ACMD instead of outsourcing to other maintenance repair organizations.
The CAS during the ceremony gave a test-run of the newly assembled Helicopter as he piloted the aircraft at the runway of the 631 ACMD as the guests and technicians observed.
The guests at the ceremony included some Members of the National Assembly, Senior serving and Retired Military Officers, NAF Engineers and Technicians from across board, Heads of the Paramilitary, Heads of Governmental and Non- Governmental Organizations, Representative of Lagos State Governor, traditional Rulers a of co-located communities of NAF Ikeja and others.
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