Chief Of Air Staff Hosts DEPOWA Leadership, Reaffirms Personnel and Family Welfare As Foundation Of National Security

Chief Of Air Staff Hosts DEPOWA Leadership, Reaffirms Personnel and Family Welfare As Foundation Of National Security

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has reaffirmed that personnel and family welfare remain fundamental to Nigeria’s national security architecture while hosting the National President and members of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) on a courtesy visit to Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force, on 22 December 2025. He described the visit as a strong demonstration of unity and synergy among Officers’ Wives Associations, noting that such cohesion is vital to sustaining morale, professionalism, and operational effectiveness across the Armed Forces and security institutions.

In her remarks, the National President of DEPOWA, Mrs Mernan Femi Oluyede, expressed deep appreciation to the CAS and the Nigerian Air Force for their unwavering commitment to the welfare of personnel and their families, describing welfare-focused leadership as essential to a resilient and effective fighting force. She reaffirmed DEPOWA’s readiness to partner with the NAF on programmes that support widows, wives, and children of personnel, noting that strong family support systems directly enhance morale, cohesion, and national security outcomes. She commended the openness to dialogue and collaboration, assuring that DEPOWA would continue to complement the efforts of the Armed Forces in building a united, secure, and stable Nigeria.

The CAS response, highlighted DEPOWA’s historic roots in humanitarian service and noted that its enduring objectives, promoting unity, empowering women through education and exposure, and advancing humanitarian initiatives, align seamlessly with his Command Philosophy, which places a premium on the welfare and wellbeing of personnel and their families as critical enablers of sustained operational readiness. He also outlined initiatives to strengthen welfare outcomes, including plans to launch the Chief of the Air Staff’s Fellowship Programme, a guided mentorship framework aimed at equipping young graduates from Air Force families with employability and life skills