NAF Commences Airlift of COVID-19 Relief Materials to West African Countries
- The Nigerian Air Force has yet again shown its humane side by assisting in delivering COVID-19 supplies
- The supplies were donated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with the support of donor partners
- The NAF has a commendable history of assisting civil authority in times of need
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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced the airlifting of COVID-19 medical relief materials donated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with the support of donor partners.
A statement sent to Legit.ng by NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet revealed that the relief materials will be distributed to the 14-member nations of ECOWAS, Nigeria inclusive, in response to the spread of the second wave of COVID-19.
Source: Twitter
According to the statement, the leader of the ECOWAS delegation and vice president of ECOWAS Commission, Finda Koroma flagged off the airlift of the relief materials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Tuesday, March 30.
Speaking at the event, Koroma stated that the need for essential medical supplies became necessary to enable ECOWAS countries to cope with increasing cases of infection as the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to increase especially in West Africa.
She noted that the first ECOWAS support to member states of critically needed medical supplies was in August 2020 and the efforts went a long way in ameliorating the shortages experienced in some vital materials required to curb the spread of the pandemic.
She expressed gratitude to the government of Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari for the logistics support to ECOWAS in the airlift of the relief materials.
Koroma further noted with thanks the willingness of the NAF to always be on hand to provide airlift support whenever called upon and specifically thanked the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, for the express approval given for the NAF C-130 aircraft to undertake the mission.
In his remarks at the flag-off of the airlift, the CAS who was represented by the director of operations, Air Vice Marshal Ayoola Jolasinmi, stated that the NAF considered the airlifting of the items a great privilege and worthy contribution to a noble cause.
While assuring the ECOWAS Commission of NAF’s commitment towards the success of the operation, he reiterated NAF’s readiness to always fulfill its constitutional role of ‘Military Assistance to Civil Authority’ whenever called upon.
Recall that the medical supply donated to Nigeria by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma was also airlifted to Abuja from Lagos by the NAF.
The supply which was sent to Nigeria to help the country fight against COVID-19 was moved from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Around the same period, NAF unveiled two emergency ventilators produced by a team of researchers from the Air Force Research and Development Centre and Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna.
The ventilators were produced in partnership with the faculty of veterinary medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Source: Legit.ng
