By Musa Haruna

The Nigerian Army has begun efforts to strengthen quality control in its aviation operations, with a focus on reducing flight risks, improving aircraft serviceability and sustaining operational readiness.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, announced the initiative on Monday in Abuja while declaring open a five-day workshop on Aviation Quality Management Systems organised by the Nigerian Army Aviation Command.

Shaibu, represented by the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Maj.-Gen. Thompson Ugiagbe, said the growing demands of military aviation required effective systems for maintaining safety, enforcing standards and ensuring reliable operations.

He explained that having aircraft and skilled personnel alone was not enough to guarantee effective aviation support, stressing the need for quality assurance mechanisms that would promote consistency and operational efficiency.

According to him, a well-established quality management system would enable the Army to detect potential hazards, address lapses, enforce approved procedures and prevent recurring operational shortcomings.

The army chief said the need for such measures had become more important as the service continued to develop its aviation capabilities to support ground operations.

Since the re-establishment of Nigerian Army Aviation in 2014, he noted, the military had continued to invest in the platforms, personnel, facilities and structures needed to improve its operational capacity.

Shaibu said the workshop would allow participants to assess practical ways of strengthening aviation safety, maintenance procedures, record-keeping, quality assurance and compliance with established standards.

He expressed optimism that the discussions would generate workable proposals for establishing a sustainable quality management framework across the aviation command.

He urged participants to focus on measures that would improve safety practices, strengthen internal processes and ensure that aviation equipment remained dependable for military assignments.

Earlier, the Commander of the Nigerian Army Aviation Command, Brig.-Gen. Al-Amin Ibrahim, described quality management as a critical requirement for safe flight operations, aircraft availability and effective mission delivery.

Ibrahim said the system should be treated as an operational necessity rather than an administrative formality, noting that its effectiveness would influence accountability, mission performance and the Army’s overall combat preparedness.

He said the workshop was intended to develop a coordinated approach to standardisation, documentation, performance monitoring and continuous improvement throughout the command.

The commander also called on personnel to take collective responsibility for maintaining quality standards, regardless of their roles in the aviation unit.

He said the responsibility extended to officers, soldiers and civilian employees working in flight operations, aircraft maintenance, logistics, training, administration and other support services.

Ibrahim emphasised the importance of identifying and addressing potential problems before they developed into operational failures, urging participants to prioritise prevention over corrective action.

He identified strict compliance with procedures, effective supervision, risk assessment, prompt reporting and lessons learned from previous experiences as essential elements of a strong aviation safety culture.

The commander further disclosed that the workshop’s proceedings and recommendations would be documented in a compendium to support implementation, track progress and guide periodic reviews of quality management measures.

The five-day workshop, which began on Monday and is scheduled to conclude on Friday, brings together relevant stakeholders to develop strategies for improving quality assurance and promoting operational excellence within Nigerian Army Aviation.