The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar, has stated that the newly acquired air assets used by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for the prosecution of the ongoing Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency (CT COIN) operations against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east, are foreign dependent and expensive to maintain.

Abubakar who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP), NAF, Air Vice Marshal (AVM), James Gbum, stated this yesterday in Abuja at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kwara State University (KWASU).

He said the modern warfare, especially the air power is dependent on technological know-how, but that continuous reliance on foreign made weapons, arms and ammunitions are not sustainable.

To avoid this, the CAS advised for collaboration with the Nigerian research and academic institutions such as the one engendered by newly signed MoU with KWASU, to drive the local technological development in the areas of aviation, aeronautical and astronautical engineering.

He said: "Our ongoing efforts against insurgency in the North-eastern part of the country could be enhanced with appropriate and adequate technology. This underscores the importance of what we are doing here today (yesterday).

"This occasion marks a new beginning in collaborative initiative between the NAF and your esteemed institution towards achieving noble milestone in our humble effort towards self-reliance especially in our primary responsibility of ensuring the territorial integrity of our nation.

"You might have realised that the NAF in the bid to project airpower has acquired many air assets. These assets must be maintained and this has been heavily foreign-dependent and expensive. In the face of dwindling resources, it behooves on us to seek ways of doing things better and cheaper locally. This is one of the prime reasons of this occasion," he noted.

Abubakar added: "At the moment, we have extant MoUs with other universities and agencies of government in order to tap from their respective areas of expertise. He further disclosed that the Air Force has "employed this collaboration in local production and sourcing of component parts for our platforms," adding that they "have also trained in relevant areas to improve their performance on the job."

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of KWASU, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na'Allah, said the MoU with NAF is to seek ways of reviving the nation's innovation-based economy and defence systems, especially in tackling the state of insecurity championed by Boko Haram terrorists and other criminal elements across the country.

Na'Allah emphasised that the kind of partnership they sought was "driving for innovations that produce big new ideas, based in science and technology that can be transformed into market-ready products. Innovations that can create new markets, sometimes even new industries, and that create a future different from, and better than, the present.

He listed the areas of collaboration with NAF to include: the knowledge/technology transfer in Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAVs); request for models of air craft parts; the Log Kaduna for practical training at hanger and various laboratories; and the use of Flying Simulation labs for teaching and instructional purposes for students at 301 Flying school among others.