The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has approved the implementation of a Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) for all Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel. This policy aptly aligns with one of the key enablers of the CAS Command Philosophy, which dwells on ‘Maintaining a highly motivated force by enhancing welfare and infrastructural renewal.’ While several insurance policies administered by the Ministry of Defense and NAF Investment Limited cover all NAF personnel, they do not, however, adequately address some hazards and challenges encountered in the course of their careers. The need to review and implement a specialized insurance scheme designed to address these hazards and unique challenges thus became imperative.

At a brief agreement signing ceremony with the approved insurance broker, KBC Insurance Brokers Limited, held at NAF Headquarters on 2 January, 2024, Air Marshal Abubakar stated that under the GPAIP, personnel of the NAF will be incentivized to give their utmost with the assurance of adequate care in the event of disability or death during military operations or any form of accident. He also noted that the welfare of NAF personnel remains germane to the attainment of his command philosophy, as it helps in boosting morale and contributing to the sustenance of professionalism. The CAS went further to note that the execution of military operations exposes personnel to diverse levels of hazards with life-altering consequences for fatalities; hence, the need to continuously review existing policies to cater for personnel wellbeing.

The contract with KBC Insurance Brokers Limited aims to provide compensation for bodily injuries, death, disablement, and payment of medical expenses solely and directly caused by accidental, external, violent, and visible means to any of the insured personnel. Furthermore, the scheme will provide compensation to the families of personnel who accidentally lost their lives during operations, as well as salary reimbursement of the injured personnel to the NAF in the event of hospitalization. The major difference between the new GPAIP and the already existing Group Life Assurance Policy (GLAP) run by the Federal Ministry of Defense is that unlike the GLAP, which benefits only the families of personnel in the event of death and does not cater for medical expenses arising from accidents, the GPAIP is all-encompassing, benefiting personnel and families in the event of death as well as covering medical bills and compensation for temporary or permanent disability and death, among others.