The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Saturday conducted the Year 2026 Second Quarter Route March Exercise which held simultaneously across all its Commands and formations.
According to a statement by NAF Spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the nationwide route match by its personnel was to reaffirm its commitment to maintaining a highly combat-ready force capable of addressing and defeating all forms of security threats across the country.
The exercise, which drew participation from officers, airmen, and airwomen across the Service, was conducted concurrently at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja, NAF’s six Commands, including the Tactical Air Command in Makurdi, the Special Operations Command in Bauchi, the Mobility Command in Bayelsa State, the Air Training Command in Kaduna, the Ground Training Command in Enugu, and the Logistics Command in Lagos, as well as other NAF units and formations across the country.
Speaking at the closing ceremony at Headquarters NAF Camp Abuja, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdullahi, described the nationwide exercise as a demonstration of the Service’s collective commitment to physical fitness, operational preparedness, and mission effectiveness.
He noted that the increasingly complex security environment requires personnel who are physically fit, mentally resilient, and professionally prepared to operate effectively in diverse and challenging operational theatres. According to him, the route march remains a critical component of the NAF’s force development efforts, aimed at enhancing endurance, discipline, resilience, and overall combat readiness.
The CAS emphasised that the exercise aligns with his Command Philosophy of enhancing and sustaining a highly motivated, professional, and mission-ready force capable of delivering decisive airpower effects in synergy with surface forces for the realisation of national security objectives. He added that maintaining peak physical condition among personnel is essential to sustaining the operational tempo required to combat terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, crude oil theft, and other threats confronting the nation.
“The security challenges facing our country demand a force that is always prepared to respond swiftly and decisively. Physical fitness and mental toughness are fundamental attributes of military professionalism and remain key enablers of operational success,” he stated.
Air Marshal Aneke further observed that beyond improving physical fitness, the route march strengthens teamwork, cohesion, discipline, and esprit de corps among personnel, qualities that are indispensable in the execution of joint and air-ground operations across various theatres of operation.
To sustain these gains, the CAS directed all personnel to actively participate in weekly Wednesday sporting activities across NAF bases and formations. He explained that regular sporting engagements not only promote health and wellness but also foster unity, peaceful coexistence, and talent discovery, while helping to keep personnel positively engaged and focused on their professional responsibilities.
The CAS expressed appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his continued support towards strengthening the operational capabilities and transformation of the Nigerian Air Force. He also commended officers, airmen, and airwomen across all Commands and formations for their enthusiastic participation and dedication to the exercise.
The simultaneous conduct of the Second Quarter Route March Exercise across the six NAF Commands and other formations nationwide underscores the Service’s unwavering determination to maintain a fit, disciplined, and mission-ready force capable of delivering decisive airpower and working seamlessly with sister services and other security agencies to eliminate threats to national security and safeguard the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
