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Nigeria Air Force Moves To Stop Spare Part Importation, Starts Fabricating Them Locally

naf-jetThe Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken steps to stop importing spare parts for its aircraft and other operational machinaries, woth the commissioning of newly resuscitated Machine Tools Workshop at its Base in Makurdi.
A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said that the newly commissioned Machine Tools Workshop would be invaluable to some of the processes through which the NAF would sustain its equipment and platform serviceability.
The statement said that the commissioning, which was done at 131 Engineering Group, Makurdi, is one of the numerous benefits from the strategic partnerships between the NAF and several universities in Nigeria, as facilitated by the incumbent NAF leadership.
The statement listed other benefits derived from the collaboration to include the modification of the antiskid system of the Alpha Jet aircraft, construction of test benches, receipt of two patent rights and emergence of the NAF as the best overall research institution at the 2017 Nigeria Technology and Innovation Expo, among others.
It quoted the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as saying that more than six research projects are currently ongoing in partnership with universities and research institutions in the country, which conforms to another key driver namely “strategic partnership with MDAs for enhanced Research and Development.
The Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Idris, expressed appreciation to the CAS for ensuring   the reactivation of the machines in the Workshop, through collaboration with the University of Maiduguri, 25 years after they were abandoned. The machines were renovated in a record time of 4 weeks and at a much lower amount compared to the quotations received from different companies. The commissioning ceremony was also used to induct the first set of trainees to benefit from the newly introduced Machinist Course. The successful trainees would later operate the equipment in the new Workshop and similar workshops in the NAF.

[myad]