Nigeria will take delivery of Super Tocano aircraft to be used by the Nigerian Air Force in the ongoing military operations against the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east by the second quarter of next year.
Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, disclosed this Friday when he appeared before the Shehu Koko led-House of Representatives Committee on Air for the defence of the 2020 budget performance and 2021 proposals.
He told lawmakers that a total of N142.045 billion is proposed for Nigeria Air Force budget for 2021 which is made up of N101 billion for personnel, N8.8 billion for overhead and N31.4 billion for capital estimates.
Abubakar said the sum of N2.5 billion was proposed for barracks upgrade ahead of the arrival of the jets which are coming to Kainji but the runway there is not in shape.
He disclosed that the N17.3 billion is proposed in the 2021 capital budget of the Force for the acquisition of 3 JF17 Thunder fighter aircraft from Pakistan while N3.7 billion is for procurement of targeting bolts for the JF17 thunder aircraft.
The Chief of Air Staff said N15 billion is proposed for the procurement of various aircraft parts and ammunition and N150 million for procurement of various small arms and ammunition while the acquisition of three PV unmanned aerial systems, two by ground patrol stations and associated accessories is pegged at N271 million.
“Procurement of various aircraft spares N566 million. Infrastructural development in newly established NAF bases by the contract will amount to about N1 billion. Upgrade of existing barrack infrastructures, we have N2.5 billion. We are proposing N350 million for additional construction and equipping of Air Force maintenance hangar,” Abubakar further said.
He said the Nigerian Air Force has increased by about 11 units located in Agatu in Benue state, Gembi in Taraba state, Damaturu in Yobe State, in Ikiran in Osun state and is expanding the unit in Ipetu Ijesha while it established
an FOB in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna state.
“The running cost of these units is something that is weighing heavily on the Air Force. That is why we are appealing for an increase in the overhead cost. In terms of personnel, the Air Force has grown to over 11,000 personnel and right now, we are recruiting an additional 1000. So, it is huge in terms of the infrastructure. For the platforms we have created, we have acquired 22 aircrafts and we are expecting 17 more.
“In addition, we are expecting to get three special mission aircrafts under the deep blue project of the Federal Ministry of Transportation. I have intimated you of the 8 UAVs we are expecting from China. With this number of platforms, the number of personnel we have increased and the expansion of the units, definitely the current overhead will be inadequate.
“The 2021 budget proposal is tailored towards acquiring more platforms and maintaining existing platforms. The NAF intends to intensify its procurement of spare parts, as well as arms and ammunition. Emphasis will also be placed on ongoing infrastructural development in newly established bases such as Gombe and existing NAF buildings to cater for the welfare of personnel and their families,” he added.
On the performance of the 2020 budget, Abubakar said: “The sum of N136.4 billion was appropriated for the Nigeria Air Force operation. This comprised N106 billion for Personnel emolument, N8.8 billion for overhead and N26.9 for capital expenditure.
“As at today, 83 percent of Personnel emolument has been released. This amounts to N83 billion. The sum of N5.8 billion has been released for overhead while N26.223 billion has been released to the service.”
Also, the Commandant of Air Force Institute of Technology, Abdulganiyu Olabisi, who appeared before the Committee for budget defence appealed for the upward review of its capital budget to the tune of N4 billion to enable it address infrastructural need.
Olabisi said total of N3.5 billion is proposed for the institute in 2021, comprising N2.3 billion for personnel cost, N152.9 million for overhead and N997.4 million for capital estimates.
“We are not able to complete the construction of the access road to the institute which is the only capital appropriation captured in the 2020 appropriation. Out of the N311 million appropriated, only N288 million was released.
“AFIT as a Federal Institute with a unique mandate for technological development through the provision of first-class university education in engineering and allied discipline is desirous of many other projects such as students’ hostels, office accommodation, classrooms, workshops and laboratories which were not captured in the budget.
“The overhead allocation was meagre and could not meet the institute’s demand for essential requirements for research and development and other sundry academic activities that are necessary for learning in a university of technology. I wish to submit that the overhead allocation of N152.9 million in the 2020 budget is far below the threshold of minimum requirement for funding academic activities in a university,” he noted.
