The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has posited that to effectively combat increasing threats of terrorism, banditry, cybercrimes and resource based conflicts among African nations, collaborative foresight and tactical precision are badly needed.

Senator Uzodimma brought this to bear in his key note address at the Fourth Africa Air Forces Forum held in Lagos on Thursday May 22, 2025, with the theme: "Strengthening Collaboration in Advanced National and Regional Security."

The Governor had addressed the gathering of high profile professionals and aerospace technology experts and participants from across Africa and around the world.

He described the event as timely, and commended the foresight and the leadership of Nigeria's Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, DFS, and his African counterparts for putting the forum together.

He stressed: "Your collaborative resolves inspires confidence in our defense capability as a region."

Senator Uzodimma noted that sovereignty of any nation is defined by its airspace which inadvertently shapes the survival of such nation or region.

His words: "We are reminded that airpower remains one of the most versatile tools of modern defence, offering speed reach, deterrence and intelligence superiority."

Senator Uzodimma commended some African counties like Egypt and Algeria that have built impressive capabilities of over 1,000and 600 military aircraft respectively; noting that Nigeria also maintains 163 aircraft.

He pointed out that "Nigeria not only needs more aircraft but smarter integration of our air assets into a collective security architecture."

Governor Uzodimma expressed delight at the achievements made by the joint operations of Nigeria, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Chad and Niger which neutralised terrorist strongholds, restored communities, and enabled safe resettlement.

He however observed: "Gaps remain in intelligence coordination, operational interoperability, and shared logistics. These must be addressed not in theory but through mechanisms we build together."

The Imo State Governor further regretted that Africa's reliance on "external supplies for critical aerospace and defence needs leaves us vulnerable to both market volatility and strategic manipulation."

He commended the leadership of Nigerian Air Force for adopting "a self-reliant approach, reactivating long abandoned aircraft, deploying locally developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and incorporating academic research into mission planning and systems design."

This shift, according to him, "is redefining the scope of African led innovation in defence."

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