The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has restated its frontline commitment to protecting civilians during combat operations, following the completion of an intensive five-day Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM) in Air Operations course for the first batch of specially selected officers.

The programme, hosted at the Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre (AWDC), Abuja, concluded on 15 August 2025. It brought together pilots, unmanned aerial vehicle operators, armament specialists, legal officers, and public relations experts underscoring NAF’s belief that civilian protection requires a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach.

Directed by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, and coordinated through the Civil-Military Relations Branch, the training reflects NAF’s resolve to ensure precision, legality, and humanity remain central to every mission. The CHM course is scheduled to run in three batches of 30 officers each, from 11 August to 5 September 2025, in partnership with Conflict, Security and Development Consult Limited.

Officers underwent rigorous sessions covering International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Nigerian air operations, precision ordnance selection, Rules of Engagement, Positive Target Identification, No-Strike List (NSL), and Sensitive Target Approval and Review (STAR). Practical modules also prepared them for decision-making under operational pressure in sensitive target scenarios.

Air Marshal Abubakar described the training as an extension of the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) launched earlier this year. From the very beginning of my tenure, I made it clear that protecting civilians is not just a moral duty, it is a professional imperative, he said. The CHMR-AP institutionalises this principle, ensuring that every commander, crew, and analyst applies the highest humanitarian standards in mission planning and execution.

According to the CAS, the initiative has already delivered measurable results, with a significant reduction in collateral damage incidents despite high operational tempo. This training equips our officers with the tools, judgment, and mindset to protect innocent lives even in complex operational environments, he added.

Representing the Chief of Civil-Military Relations at the closing ceremony, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet stressed that NAF’s approach goes beyond compliance with international law, framing civilian protection as a strategic advantage. When communities see that we take extraordinary measures to keep them safe, we build trust. That trust strengthens intelligence sharing and isolates hostile actors. Protecting civilians is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do, he said.

With the remaining two batches set to complete the course by September, the NAF has made it clear that civilian protection will remain central to its operational doctrine across all theatres of operation.