NAF COMMISSIONS SPECIAL INTERVENTION PROJECT IN BENUE, BOOSTS GRASSROOTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

NAF COMMISSIONS SPECIAL INTERVENTION PROJECT IN BENUE, BOOSTS GRASSROOTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

A new chapter in community development was opened in Oklenyi, Okpoga, Benue State, as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) commissioned a Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Special Intervention Project, executed in honour of one of its distinguished senior officers and an illustrious son of the State, Air Vice Marshal Patrick Owoicho Obeya. The CAS, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, represented by the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Headquarters NAF, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, said the initiative reflects the NAF’s commitment to winning hearts and minds, strengthening public trust and deepening cooperation with host communities. He noted that it is one of 21 similar interventions executed nationwide in honour of distinguished senior officers in their respective homelands.

The CAS said the newly commissioned market sheds, administrative block and water facilities are designed not only to provide essential infrastructure, but also to stimulate economic activity and improve livelihoods at the grassroots. He commended AVM Obeya for facilitating the intervention and urged the Oklenyi community to take ownership of and protect the facilities. He further emphasised that sustained civil-military cooperation and the timely sharing of actionable intelligence remain critical to supporting the Armed Forces in tackling security threats and safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

For AVM Obeya, the intervention represents a meaningful opportunity to give back to his community. The facilities comprise two market sheds capable of accommodating up to 48 traders, a furnished administrative block and a solar-powered water reticulation system supported by two deep wells. The Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dcns. Serumun Deborah Aber, commended the NAF for complementing its traditional defence role with community development, noting that the intervention aligns with the State Government’s rural transformation agenda. He urged the people of Okpoga to protect and sustain the facilities for the benefit of present and future generations.

#NigerianAirForce #NAF #GrassrootsEconomicDevelopment #CivilMilitaryRelations #CommunityDevelopment #BenueState #Okpoga