Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, has called for collaborative foresight and tactical precision to effectively combat increasing threats of terrorism, banditry, cybercrimes and resource-based conflicts among African nations.
Uzodimma made the call in a keynote address at the Fourth Africa Air Forces Forum held in Lagos with the theme, “Strengthening Collaboration in Advanced National and Regional Security.”
He described the event as timely and commended the foresight and the leadership of Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar and his counterparts from other African countries for putting the forum together.
“Your collaborative resolve inspires confidence in our defence capability as a region,” he added.
Uzodimma noted that sovereignty of any nation is defined by its airspace which inadvertently shapes the survival of such nation or region.
“We are reminded that airpower remains one of the most versatile tools of modern defence, offering speed, reach, deterrence and intelligence superiority,” he maintained.
The governor commended some African counties like Egypt and Algeria that have built impressive capabilities of over 1,000 and 600 military aircraft respectively, noting that Nigeria also maintains 163 aircraft.
He pointed out that, “Nigeria not only needs more aircraft but smarter integration of our air assets into a collective security architecture.”
Governor Uzodimma expressed delight at the achievements made by the joint operations of Nigeria, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Chad and Niger which neutralised terrorist strongholds, restored communities and enabled safe resettlement.
He however observed that, “Gaps remain in intelligence coordination, operational interoperability and shared logistics. These must be addressed not in theory but through mechanisms we build together.”
The Imo State governor further regretted that Africa’s reliance on “external supplies for critical aerospace and defence needs leaves us vulnerable to both market volatility and strategic manipulation.”
