NAF Commissions GIDC
NAF Commissions GIDC for Intelligence
Surveillance
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commissioned a new,
state-of-the-art Geospatial Intelligence Data Centre (GIDC) at the
Headquarters NAF Abuja.
The GIDC is to further enhance the ongoing Intelligence
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts in the North East and
other parts of Nigeria. The Centre, which is equipped with
high-tech computer hardware and software, would improve NAF
capacity for acquisition, exploitation, analysis and interpretation
of imagery and geospatial information to provide actionable
intelligence for the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General
Abayomi Olonisakin, who was the Guest of Honour at the
commissioning ceremony, commended the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS),
Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for the laudable initiative. He
stated that the new Centre would undoubtedly add value to the
efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in better securing the
Country and making it a safer place for all. He also expressed
delight with the readiness of the NAF to make the products of the
Centre available not only to the AFN but also to other security
agencies like the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the
Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), who could use it to determine old
and new border crossing points used by illegal immigrants or
smugglers. The CDS also noted that the Centre could not have come
into being at a more auspicious time than now with various areas of
disturbance in the Country, while adding that it was indeed a
testimony of prudent management of resources by the leadership of
the NAF.
While making his remarks, the CAS, Air Marshal Abubakar, stated
that the establishment of the NAF GIDC was as a result of the
resolve of the Service to continue to build capacity across the
spectrum of operations so as to bring the fight against terrorism
and other forms of criminality in the Country to an end as soon as
possible. He reiterated that the Centre would employ and deploy
satellite and other cutting edge technologies, including
sophisticated and high-value computer software, to gather and
analyse data to produce intelligence in support of NAF and joint
operations across the Country. The CAS added that, in its effort to
operate at par with militaries all over the world, the NAF embarked
on the worthwhile endeavor by leapfrogging from traditional means
of intelligence gathering to the use of space-borne platforms in
the production of actionable intelligence for operational
effectiveness. The CAS, who used the opportunity to express his
profound gratitude to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
President Muhammadu Buhari, for his continued support and
encouragement to the NAF, also thanked the Minister of Defence,
Mansur Dan-Ali, the CDS as well as local and foreign partners, for
their collaboration through which the project became a reality.
The CDS, CAS and other dignitaries, including the
Comptroller-General (CG) of the NCS, Colonel Hameed Ali (retired),
were conducted on a guided tour of facilities in the GIDC. One of
the highlights of the ceremony was the presentation of one of the
products of the Centre, printed satellite images of specific areas
of interest, to the CDS and CG NCS.
IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force