FIC Report (Abia State) – Abia state Governor,Dr Alex Otti OFR has thanked the Nigeria Air Force for approving the establishment of an Air Force base in the State to serve as a special training center.
Governor Otti who was speaking when he received a delegation of the Ground Training Commander of the Nigeria Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Adebayo Kehinde, who paid him courtesy visit to appreciate the State Government’s support and deepen existing security cooperation between the State and the Nigeria Air Force.
The Governor while restating the commitment of his administration towards deepening collaboration with the Nigeria Air Force equally assured that additional land will be allocated for the establishment of the Special Forces Training Centre at the proposed Abia Airport.
“We are going to work with the team to see how we can at the minimum increase the space to at least 100 hectares. You can take it for granted that you have at least 100 hectares of land in that place (at the Airport site).
Governor Otti while assuring the delegation that the State Government would facilitate the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy for the land within 30 days, announced that the Administrative office complex being built for the Nigerian Air Force in Umuahia would be completed before the end of April.
The Governor explained that the proposed airport project is in partnership between the Abia State Government and the Federal Government, with the State handling the runway and perimeter fencing while the Federal Government is responsible for the terminal building.
“We expect the runway to be ready very soon, and once the runway is operational, other components of the airport can follow gradually,” Gov. Otti said.
According to him, discussions are already ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Aviation to ensure the timely completion of the project.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Ground Training Commander of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Adebayo Kehinde while applauding the giant strides of Governor Alex Otti in the security of lives and property, said such achievement can only be possible when a visionary and security -conscious Leader is in charge.
He said that as one who is involved in Operation Udoka and other security formations in the South East, intelligence reports at his disposal on a daily basis shows that Abia is positively ahead of other South East states due to the proactive efforts of the Governor and his security team.
“As the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command in Enugu, I receive daily security reports across the South-East states.
“Comparatively, Abia State is well ahead of other South-East states. Abia is standing out and I cannot but agree this does not happen accidentally. It must be a proactive effort”, he said.
He equally commended the Governor’s efforts in establishing the presence of the Nigeria Air Force in the state to complement that of other security agencies , noting that their Administrative Office complex donated to them by the state government in Umuahia is almost ready with the state of the art facilities.
Air Vice Marshall Adebayo also disclosed that the Chief of Air Staff is interested in expanding the Air Force presence in Abia State, particularly at the Airport site with the establishment of a Special Forces Training Centre for job training and jungle warfare.
He further revealed that the Chief of Air Staff plans to visit Abia personally to appreciate the State Government’s efforts and assess facilities being developed by the State Government to support Air Force operations.
He added that the establishment of the Nigerian Air Force training facility in Abia would significantly enhance security across the state and the South-East region, and explained that the 50 hectares of land earlier allocated to the Nigerian Air Force for its base at the airport may not be sufficient for the scale of operations it intends to establish.
According to Air Vice Marshal Adebayo:”First is regarding the 50 hectares of land allocated to the Air Force at the airport; we respectfully request that it be increased to about 150 hectares.
“This request is necessary because the Chief of the Air Staff is interested in establishing a Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Training Centre in Umuahia.
“The location near the airport is suitable for jungle warfare training and other exercises.
“Beyond simply establishing a base, we are considering building a much larger operational and training presence here and that is why I took time to inspect all the facilities and land available.
The special adviser to the Governor on Security matters Navy Commander MacDonald UBAH Retired and other security Aides of the Governor were present during the visit.
Abiakam Gloria Ify
HOC,FIC Umuahia Abia State.
March 11, 2026.
