Nigerian Air Force Deepens Capacity Building on Civilian Protection

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified efforts to minimise civilian harm in conflict zones by completing a five-day Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM) training in Abuja.

NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. He said the training, held at the Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre (AWDC), brought together pilots, UAV operators, legal officers, armament specialists, and public relations experts.

The course, directed by the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, is being conducted in three batches in collaboration with Conflict, Security and Development Consult Limited. Modules covered included International Humanitarian Law, rules of engagement, ordnance selection to minimise collateral damage, positive target identification, the No-Strike List, and the Sensitive Target Approval and Review (STAR) process.

Abubakar described the initiative as part of NAF’s Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP), launched earlier this year, which has already reduced collateral damage incidents despite ongoing military operations.

“From the very beginning of my tenure, I made it clear that protecting civilians is not just a moral duty, but a professional imperative,” the CAS said.

Also speaking, AVM Edward Gabkwet, representing the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, AVM Ibikunle Olorunmola Daramola, said prioritising civilian protection would help build trust with communities and improve operational effectiveness.

“When communities see extraordinary measures taken to protect them, trust grows. Such trust improves intelligence sharing and isolates hostile actors,” he said.

With two more batches of personnel expected to complete the course by September, NAF emphasised that civilian protection would remain central to its doctrine across all theatres of operation.