Abuja: The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified efforts to strengthen civil-military cooperation through the strategic use of music as a soft-power tool for public engagement and trust building. The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, emphasized this initiative while inaugurating the 2025 NAF Music Personnel Workshop, organized by the Directorate of Music in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the workshop, themed ‘Music as a Tool for Winning Hearts and Minds for Enhanced Civil-Military Cooperation in Support of Nigerian Air Force Operations,’ brought together band commanders and music specialists from NAF formations nationwide. Aneke described the theme as timely, highlighting music as a vital instrument in shaping perceptions, boosting morale, and building bridges between the military and civilians.
Represented by Air Commodore Christopher Akpa, the Director of Enabling Operations at the Civil-Military Relations Branch, NAF Headquarters, Aneke stressed that the role of military bands has evolved beyond ceremonial functions. “In today’s operational environment, winning the hearts and minds of people is as essential as winning the battle itself,” he remarked. The NAF is complementing its kinetic operations with strategic non-kinetic approaches, including community outreach and cultural engagements through music. As NAF expands its operations and interacts more deeply with communities, music becomes a tool of influence, unity, and national pride.
He urged participants to use the workshop to refine their professionalism and ensure performances reflect excellence, discipline, and purpose. Aneke pledged sustained investment in training, equipment, and welfare for music personnel as part of the service’s human capacity development agenda.
Earlier, the Director of Music, Group Capt. Ayodeji Ayanbode, noted that the workshop was the fourth in the series since the Directorate of Music was established in 2019. Ayanbode stated that the program was designed to enhance the competence of music personnel and highlight the role of music in building morale, harmony, and advancing NAF’s soft power engagements. He added that “beyond ceremonies, music is a bridge between the military and the people, promoting mutual respect and understanding.”
The workshop featured technical sessions on music administration, performance standards, and public communication for operational effectiveness. A paper on the theme was presented by a professor of music at the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Onyee Nwankpa, and Air Commodore Akpa Akpan, along with panel discussions.