The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, has urged the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) to adopt the Nigerian Air Force College of Nursing Sciences’ (NAFCONS) pioneering “Air Mobile First Aid” training as a national standard. Represented by the Chief of Medical Services, Air Vice Marshal Anthony Ekpe, the CAS made this call during the matriculation ceremony for National Diploma I (Set 6) students of NAFCONS, held on 11 April 2025 at NAF Base Kaduna.

According to the CAS, the training, Nigeria’s first of its kind, has the potential to revolutionise emergency healthcare across the country. He emphasized that the training focuses on aeromedical evacuation, rapid response in austere environments, and critical military and aerospace nursing competencies. Air Marshal Abubakar also applauded NAFCONS for setting new standards in nursing education, noting its ability to produce highly skilled, compassionate, and innovative healthcare professionals.

In his welcome address, Commandant of NAFCONS, Squadron Leader Boyi Elisha, expressed gratitude to the CAS, CMS, and regulatory agencies such as the NMCN and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for their sustained support. The event marked a significant milestone, with 120 students, the college’s highest intake yet, taking the matriculation oath, further underscoring the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to education, healthcare, and civil-military collaboration for national development.