Air Force commander urges Nigerian personnel to embrace sportsmanship as part of national security

Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Suleh has urged Nigerian Air Force personnel to see sportsmanship as more than an extracurricular activity, calling it a vital part of the country’s security architecture.

Suleh, the Air Officer Commanding of the Logistics Command, made the appeal in Lagos at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Third Quarter Headquarters Intra-Command Sports Competition. The week-long event brought together personnel from the Logistics Command and co-located units across four sports: football, volleyball, basketball and handball.

He said the competition demonstrated teamwork, endurance and tactical excellence, qualities he described as essential to a combat-ready force. The quarterly event, he added, tested resilience, discipline and unity rather than simply determining who won medals and trophies.

Suleh said the initiative supported the Chief of the Air Staff’s command philosophy, which emphasizes physical fitness, mental alertness and high morale. A capable fighting force, he said, develops not only in classrooms and operational theatres but also on the sports field, where esprit de corps grows stronger.

Group D finished first overall with two gold medals and one bronze. Group B placed second with one gold and three silvers, while Group A came third with one gold, one silver and two bronzes. Group C finished fourth with one bronze from football. Group D won basketball and volleyball, Group B won handball, and Group A took the football title. Sergeant Idoko Emmanuel, captain of the winning Logistics football team, thanked God for the victory.

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Sportsmanship is a vital ingredient for strengthening the nation’s security architecture.