By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has inaugurated its Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) Board to lead the implementation of its Civilian Harm Mitigation Action Plan (CHMR-AP).
The Director, Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.
He stated that the move was to enhance the protection of civilians in conflict areas.
Ejodame noted that the initiative reflected NAF’s growing commitment to upholding international humanitarian law and embedding accountability in air operations.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, represented by the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, AVM Ibikunle Daramola, reaffirmed NAF’s commitment to protecting civilians during operations.
Abubakar added that “NAF remains resolute in ensuring its missions are conducted with precision, accountability and humanity.”
He said NAF would continue to adapt and refine its strategies to minimise harm and strengthen the legitimacy of its operations by embedding civilian protection into its air power doctrine.
According to him, the board has been tasked with driving the execution of the CHMR-AP across the full spectrum of NAF’s organisational structure, including joint operational environments.
He added that “effective implementation requires prompt coordination across the entire NAF echelon. This board will ensure that our commitment is translated into measurable action.
“Key responsibilities of the board include identifying, compiling and assessing data on civilian harm incidents.
“This encompasses intelligence from NAF combat assessments, reports from partner nations, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups and open-source materials.
“Additionally, the NAF Civilian Harm Assessment and Investigation Cell is charged with conducting harm assessments, analysing patterns and trends, draw lessons and monitoring implementation progress.”
The CAS said the inauguration was a critical institutional step, saying that NAF must ensure that air operations do not compromise the safety of the very people it swore to protect.
He explained that NAF had over the years, consistently adapted strategies to suit Nigeria’s evolving threat environment, employing air power with precision in various theatres across the country.
According to him, the establishment of the CHMR board is another layer in this transformation, reinforcing NAF’s mission to balance operational effectiveness with ethical responsibility.
He noted that “by institutionalising civilian harm mitigation, NAF aims not only to reduce the risk of civilian casualties but also to foster greater public trust and operational transparency.
“The CHMR board is expected to serve as cornerstone for continued reforms in the conduct of air operations, ensuring that the protection of civilians remains central to all mission planning and execution.”(NAN)
