Fubara Commissions NAF Runway in Rivers

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as efforts to strengthen and reposition Nigeria’s security institutions.

Fubara spoke on Thursday during the commissioning of the rehabilitated runway at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Port Harcourt.

The governor described the project as more than an infrastructure upgrade, saying it demonstrated Rivers State’s commitment to supporting the Armed Forces in protecting the country.

He said the Nigerian Air Force remained a key institution in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity, critical national assets and overall stability.

Fubara said Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, had demonstrated commitment to equipping and repositioning the nation’s security agencies, stressing that national security was fundamental to economic development.

“There can be no thriving economy without security,” the governor said.

According to him, the strategic importance of Rivers State, particularly its position as the centre of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, makes the security of the state inseparable from the security of the country.

He said the rehabilitated runway would strengthen the operational capacity of the Nigerian Air Force in the South-South, improve the safety and efficiency of aerial operations and enhance rapid response to security threats.

Fubara also said the facility would support ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.

The governor emphasised that security was a collective responsibility and said the project reflected the importance of cooperation between the Federal Government and state governments.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, also commended the Rivers State Government for rehabilitating the runway, describing it as evidence of the strong partnership between the state and the Nigerian Air Force.

Aneke said the facility would enhance air operations, training and disaster-response activities while strengthening the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure in the region.

The development comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s wider security architecture, including the preparation of a five-year strategic defence plan aimed at improving coordination among defence, intelligence and security institutions.