As DEPOWA President Reaffirms Commitment to Strengthening Family Support Systems Across the Armed Forces and Police.

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has commended the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) for its sustained contributions to strengthening family welfare, unity, and resilience across the Armed Forces community, while reaffirming the Nigerian Air Force’s continued support for the Association’s programmes and initiatives.

Air Marshal Aneke gave the commendation on Monday, 22 December 2025, when he received the President of DEPOWA, Mrs. Mernan Femi Oluyede, alongside members of the Association’s National Executive Council on a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The CAS described DEPOWA’s interventions as timely and impactful, noting that strong and stable family support systems remain essential to boosting morale, resilience, and operational effectiveness of personnel. He encouraged the Association to sustain its vocational training, empowerment, and welfare-oriented initiatives, stressing that such programmes play a critical role in enhancing personnel well-being and long-term institutional stability.

Earlier in her remarks, the President of DEPOWA, Mrs. Mernan Femi Oluyede, congratulated Air Marshal Aneke on his appointment as the 23rd CAS and reaffirmed DEPOWA’s unwavering commitment to strengthening family support systems for personnel of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force nationwide. She emphasised that behind every officer in uniform stands a family that serves quietly, faithfully, and sacrificially, underscoring the importance of ensuring that such families are adequately supported, empowered, and equipped to thrive despite the demands of service life.

Mrs. Oluyede praised the CAS for his visionary focus on modernising the Nigerian Air Force, enhancing operational readiness, and strengthening the technical capacity of personnel to effectively address contemporary air and joint operational challenges.

Expressing confidence in the clear direction of the Service under his stewardship, she solicited the continued support of the Nigerian Air Force to enable DEPOWA to effectively implement its programmes in the areas of women’s empowerment, youth development, skills acquisition, and psychosocial support.

She assured the CAS of DEPOWA’s readiness to continue complementing the Nigerian Air Force’s non-kinetic efforts through initiatives that promote family welfare, community resilience, and social cohesion, in support of national security and stabilisation objectives.

Highlights of the courtesy visit were the presentation of souvenirs and a group photograph session.

AYOBAMI ONI-ORISAN
Major
Liaison Officer
Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association
27 December 2025