Nigeria Air Force (NAF) is partnering with over 30 Nigerian universities for research purposes and some Nigerian companies as a way of engaging local content in its operations.
AVM Abdulganiyu Olabisi, the NAF Commandant, Institute of Technology said during a courtesy visit and inspection of TRANOS facility in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TRANOS is an engineering and manufacturing company; adding value to lives through innovative solutions.
Olabisi said that the NAF was working with companies like Innoson and Ibeto Group in its aircraft equipment and maintenance requirements.
“The Nigeria Air Force is a highly technical service operating a variety of sophisticated aircrafts and equipment. Therefore, Innoson helps to assemble some of the equipment for our aircraft while Ibeto produces batteries for our aircrafts.
“We are glad to know that TRANOS is an engineering company that has factored safety and quality production as the watch word of the industry.
“Before now, almost all the input of our operations as well as trainings came from abroad because of the sophistication of the equipment that we operate.
“However, partnering with local companies will help to improve our service to the country at cost effective prices,” Olabisi said.
Also, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director of Public Relations and Information, HQ NAF, said the visit was to focus on local contents in procurement and development of science, technology and innovation.
“We are seeking to collaborate with this company as we have done with other companies like Ibeto and Innoson.
“TRANOS is another logical step in that direction in developing indigenous solutions to our technological challenges. The NAF is a highly technological driven service that require such inputs where some of the issues involved are the production of spare parts for our aircraft,” he said.
Daramola said that the Covid-19 pandemic led to a number of restrictions placed on air travel which had affected the logistics supply chain interms of spares.
“This has driven us to look inwards interms of looking for solutions to this issues.
“For the NAF to make sure it is self sufficient, we need to look inwards to look for solutions. That is why partnership with local companies is important to us. So, we will continue to collaborate with them to come out with these specific areas of need for the NAF to get the solutions that we require,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Jude Abalaka, Managing Director, TRANOS expressed his appreciation to NAF for the partnership, promising that they would get value for their money.
Abalaka said that partnership was important for growth and expansion which would enable both parties to grow and positively impact on each other and the society.
‘We will focus on the challenges that the NAF might be facing in other to help interms of their aircraft; whether it be mechanical or electrical.
“There is also a drive for made in Nigeria goods right now and we are a company that has focused on investment, in equipment, in personnel and in training to be able to do a lot of things locally,” Abalaka said.(NAN)
