Oronsaye report: Stakeholders kick as FG moves to merge AFIT with NDA

There is growing concern over the decision to merge the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as recommended by the Oronsaye panel report.

It could be recalled that on February 27, 2024, President Bola Tinubu approved the implementation of the report, which recommended the abolishment of some government agencies and institutions to cut costs and improve efficiency.

The report, among others, recommended that the Nigerian Army University (NAUB) and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) should be merged into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

The vice chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Kabir Bala, while speaking to newsmen at the 7th Matriculation Ceremony of AFIT, described the decision as a policy issue.

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“Some of the issues people are raising are that AFIT and the Nigerian Army University (NAUB) Act came after the Oronsaye report, so we will wait and see how the government will resolve that,” he said.

The Commandant of AFIT, Air Vice Marshal Sani Rabe, said the people who made the recommendation were most likely not well informed about the workings of AFIT.

He said the institution was strictly established to provide manpower training for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel for logistics, armament, aircraft maintenance and communication but was later opened to the public to allow civilians also benefit from the facilities available.