The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening security in the state through strategic collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force.

As part of the effort, the governor assured that the state government would allocate additional land for the establishment of a Special Forces Training Centre at the proposed Abia Airport site.

Otti gave the assurance on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from the Nigerian Air Force led by the Ground Training Commander, Air Vice Marshal Adebayo Kehinde, who visited to appreciate the state government’s support and deepen existing security cooperation between the state and the Air Force.

The governor thanked the Nigerian Air Force for approving the establishment of a base in Abia State and disclosed that the government would increase the land earlier allocated to the Air Force at the proposed airport site from 50 hectares to at least 100 hectares to support the planned Special Forces Training Centre.

According to Otti, “We are going to work with the team to see how we can, at a minimum, increase the space to at least 100 hectares. You can take it for granted that you have at least 100 hectares of land in that place (airport site).”

He further assured the delegation that the state government would facilitate the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for the land within 30 days. He also disclosed that the ongoing office complex being built for the Nigerian Air Force in Umuahia would be completed before the end of April.

The governor explained that the proposed airport project is a partnership between the Abia State Government and the Federal Government, with the state responsible for the runway while the Federal Government handles the terminal building.

Otti said discussions were already ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Aviation to ensure the timely completion of the project, stressing that security remains the most critical responsibility of the government.

Earlier, the Ground Training Commander of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Adebayo Kehinde, commended the Abia State Government for its proactive efforts in strengthening security and supporting the operations of the Nigerian Air Force.

According to him, intelligence and operational security reports across the South-East indicate that Abia stands out positively compared to other states in the region.

“Comparatively, Abia State is well ahead of other South-East states. Abia is standing out, and I cannot help but agree that this does not happen accidentally. It must be a proactive effort,” he said.

Adebayo disclosed that the Chief of the Air Staff is interested in expanding the Air Force presence in Abia State, particularly at the airport site, with the establishment of a Special Forces Training Centre for job training and jungle warfare.

He also revealed that the Chief of the Air Staff plans to visit Abia personally to appreciate the state government’s efforts and assess facilities being developed to support Air Force operations.

The Air Vice Marshal lauded the quality of ongoing projects inspected during the visit, including accommodation for airmen and officers, as well as infrastructure at the airport site.

He added that the establishment of the Nigerian Air Force training facility in Abia would significantly enhance security across the state and the South-East region.