Nigerian Air Force Equips Young Officers For Strategic Communication In Modern Warfare

Nigerian Air Force Equips Young Officers For Strategic Communication In Modern Warfare

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced a three-month Basic Information Young Officers Course (BIYOC) aimed at equipping young officers with the skills required to operate effectively in today’s information-driven and perception-sensitive warfare environment. The pioneering course, which began on 18 January 2026, is being conducted at the School of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force Institute of Administrative Management (NAFIAM), Kaduna. It has 11 participants, comprising 10 Flying Officers and one Pilot Officer drawn from various NAF units nationwide.

The initiative reflects the training-focused vision of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke, DFS, whose Command Philosophy identifies capacity development as a critical enabler of operational effectiveness. This is particularly significant in the evolving character of modern warfare, where information and perception management have emerged as decisive operational domains. The BIYOC therefore represents a deliberate institutional shift by the NAF towards developing in-Service capacity aimed at building the requisite skills aligned with the peculiar operational, doctrinal, and institutional requirements of the Nigerian Air Force.

As part of the course activities, the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Headquarters NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on 21 January 2026, engaged the participants in an interactive lecture, charging them to approach the training with intellectual rigour. He stressed that contemporary military communication includes and now extends beyond journalism, media engagements, scripting, photography, or videography to the strategic shaping of narratives in support of operations. In his remarks, the Commandant of NAFIAM, Air Commodore Isaiah Taiwo, commended the DOPRI for the timely and insightful engagement, noting that effective communication remains critical to mission success in contemporary military operations. The commencement of BIYOC thus underscores a strategic and institutionalised effort by the Nigerian Air Force to deliver tailored, sustainable, and mission-oriented training that enhances professionalism, strengthens civil-military relations, and reinforces public trust in the Service.