Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar says the air force will deepen its partnership with the National Engineering Design Development Institute (NEDDI) for greater efficiency.

Abubakar, who disclosed this during a visit to the NEEDI office complex in Nnewi on Tuesday, said that the partnership would encourage home-made engineering designs.

He expressed happiness with the level of technological advancement at the institute and promised to improve the working relationship between the institute and the air force.

“We shall tap into the experience and proficiency of this institute by availing our officer’s training in engineering design,” he said.

Abubakar stated that security remained a critical ingredient in the development of any nation, saying “development can only thrive in a secure atmosphere”.

“As a force, we are prepared to deepen this partnership with NEEDI, we hope to improve on our existing understanding to shore up the capacity building.

“This working relationship is in the interest of efficient service to the country,” he said.

In a welcome address, NEDDI’s Managing Director, Mr Arinze Nwosu, said part of the institute’s vision was to push made in Nigeria products to enviable standards.

He said that NEDDI was supporting the industrial sector with necessary engineering designs, adding that “we shall hopefully do better with improved relations with other government agencies.”

“As a government research institute, our mandate is to project made in Nigeria engineering designs to the rest of the world.

“We are already in partnership with some academic institutions and government agencies, we are hopeful that our relationship with the air force will be strengthened,” he said.