Nigerian Air Force Recruitment for Graduates: How To Apply (2024)

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 10,000 personnel and aircraft including 12 Chinese Chengdu F-7s, and 11 Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets, 12 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, armed helicopters, and military transport aircraft.

According to information provided on their website (www.airforce.mil.ng), the mission of the Nigerian Air force is to ensure the integrity of the airspace by gaining and maintaining control of the air while retaining a credible capacity to fulfill other air-power tasks demanded by national defense and security imperatives.

The Nigerian Army never had an air arm of it own until in 1962 when the government began to recruit cadets for pilot training in various foreign countries, with the first ten being taught by the Egyptian Air Force. Before this time, Nigeria relied on the United Kingdom for air defense.

The Nigerian Air Force was formally established on 18 March 1964 with the passage of the Air Force Act 1964 by the National Assembly. The Act stated that the ‘Nigerian Air Force shall be charged with the defense of the Federal Republic by air, and to give effect thereto, the personnel shall be trained in such duties as in the air as well as on the ground. Listed below are some of their functions

• Supplies Forces for Execution of Combat Operation
• Supplies Forces to Defense Airspace
• Supplies Forces of Joint Air Transported Operations
• Endows and Supply Forces for Air Mobile
• Coordinates with Other Forces to Defense Airspace
• Trains and Supply Forces for Air Photographs
• Develops in Coordination with Procedure in Air Operations
• Trains and Supply Forces for Flight Refueling
• Trains and Supplies Forces for Special Operations
• Supplies Equipment for Electronic War Operations

Among other engagements, the Nigerian Air force have been engaged during the Nigerian Civil War, First Liberian Civil War, Sierra Leone Civil War, Conflict in Niger Delta, Boko Haram Insurgency and the Invasion of Gambia.

The Nigerian Air Force recruits yearly to enable it get the required man power to carry out its functions. This article will show you how to apply for the Nigerian Airforce as a graduate.

Nigerian Air Force Recruitment for Graduates DSSC

The Nigerian Air Force regularly recruits new officers and airmen/women either through their regular recruitment or the Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC). Our focus in this article is on the DSSC recruitment as it’s the most suitable for most graduates.

Before proceeding, you need to know the difference between the Direct Short Service and Short Service as it gets mixed up easily. They are both short-term military training exercises (usually 1 year). And they are both targeted at military personnel who have served in their respective units for not less than 5 years or civilians who graduated from recognized higher institutions.

Direct Short Service are for applicants looking to further in their respective fields of study in the Nigerian military. For instance, if you graduated as a medical doctor, then the DSSC will be most suitable for you. Short Service Combatant Commissions on the other hand are for applicants who which to get deployed to infantry, artillery or other combatant units upon the completion of their one-year military training.

From now till the end of the article, the focus of this article will be on the Nigerian Air Force Direct Short Service and how to apply for it.

Requirements for applying Nigerian Air Force as Graduates

To be accepted into the Nigerian Air Force Direct Short Service Commission Course, you need the following criteria.

• You must be a Nigerian
• You must not be less than 1.66m tall for male and not less than 1.63m tall for female.
• You must be between the age of 22-35.
• You must be a graduate with a second-class upper division or it equivalent

How to Apply

Please note that application is completely free and done online through their website. To apply visit http://www.airforce.mil.ng/.

Currently, there’s no recruitment going on. However, if it was on, you are generally expected to print out the following after completing your application.

• Local Government Form.
• Attestation Form.
• Acknowledgment Form.
• Serving Military personnel are to note that documents (forms) listed above are not applicable to them, however the special attestation form is to be filled by their current Unit Commander.

Be aware that the Nigerian military or her personnel will not ask you to bring money or any other incentives when they start recruiting officers to influence applicants chances of gaining entry into the armed forces. Any candidate who does so, does it at his or her own risk.